The Unpredictability of Life: Reflections on Life and Lessons from Mother Nature… 

Iquietly looked at the sea. Peace and tranquillity were surrounding me. 

As the cool breeze brushed my face, I closed my eyes. I could smell nature;

I felt the soft waves on my feet and was in total awe.

“This must be heaven” … I thought to myself.

The sound of albatrosses gliding above the sea forced me to open my eyes. I looked at their graceful glide across the sea. They were in-sync and looked like they were on an auto-pilot mode. I wondered where they were heading. Wow, the unexplained mystery of nature. No flapping of wings, but just a smooth glide. In unison, they twisted and turned.

The only thing I could see besides the birds was nothing but the sea. No island in sight, but yet these birds seemed like they knew where they were heading. Perhaps they don’t know their destination, but one thing for sure was they were flying as a flock at the same pace. That is how they live…that is how they survive.

I was lost in my thoughts and admiring the beauty of nature.

I jumped a bit when a spilling wave hit my feet. I giggled as I tried to balance myself. I watched the ebbing and flowing of the waves with curiosity. I followed the rhythm. Not only was it interesting, but I knew what to do and when to do it to be in-sync with this interesting process of nature. 

Suddenly, I was off balance and was being sucked into the ocean as I battled to hold my breath for long. Praying that I can at least get my head above water so I can breathe out. I was suffocating. I forgot all the basic survival tips you need when you face a surging wave. Oh, how I was reminded that we are but mere mortals.

I could not believe I was faced with this, just seconds after I have admired mother nature.

As I was about to give up, I remembered that I needed to calm down and not attempt to swim back to the shore. All I needed to do was to float and wait for the waves to subside. I also remembered that I was not alone, there were people around me before I was sucked in. People who, like those albatrosses I saw earlier, were laughing with me, playing with me and falling with me. People who stretched out their hands to help me up each time I fell.

Instead of worrying about drowning, all I needed to do was to lift my hand high to alert them so they can come and rescue me.

That is the reality of life, my friends. We sometimes think we have got it all figured out. We enjoy that which gives us peace and satisfaction and think we have control of this thing called life.

Now and then we experience gentle waves that will make us giggle as we playfully try to avoid them, but sometimes we are unexpectedly hit by surging waves that take our breaths away, making us think this is the end. We will want to give up. We will feel scared and helpless. However, we are never alone. There is always someone who will see that waving hand and pull you out. 

When you have a chronic condition that is unpredictable and can change your entire being, that confuses you because you are fine this minute and the next one you are in immense pain; you feel helpless and desperate to make it go away.
You wallow in self-pity and even forget that you have family and friends that are always there to help and support you. 

We focus too much on pain/disappointments/fear and not on the love that is always surrounding us.

Love makes the pain feel better 

Its warmth envelopes you and makes you see that you are not alone on this journey 

Love gives you hope and strength

Love eases the physical and emotional pain we suffer from every day