Getting back to writing has been a nagging thought but a seemingly overwhelming task. Much like the very beginning of this road, I decided that trusting the process was the way to go and getting to it, no matter how it felt, so here we are.
Grief, child loss, loss, life change, growing older, all of these things bring with them reflection. That reflection can make you bitter or it can make you better. It can make your heart sad, or it can make your heart grateful. Sometimes, and more often than not, it does both. Driving last week, I heard the song “Better Boat” by Kenny Chesney. Not the first time but in a more meaningful way. (Probably one of those synchronicities I’ve talked about before).
In the process of trying to maneuver the waves of life, of loss, of grief in all its forms, one of the most powerful lessons is that there is little one can really control. Waves come in and they flow out. Life keeps happening. All one can do is use what you do have to “build a better boat.”
We take the lessons we learn, the friends that we have, and the love that we have been offered, and we construct a vessel to carry us through. Hopefully, the structure is strong enough to endure what comes next and pliable enough to adapt to what changes. It should be roomy enough to offer rescue when called for. We all need a lifeline now and again. If you find it lacking in any way, you get to start again. There’s no limit on improvement.
Look for your synchronicities and keep working on your boat.
” I breathe in, I breathe out
Got friends to call who let me talk about
What ain’t working, what’s still hurtin’
All the things I feel like cussing out
Now and then I let it go
Around the waves I can’t control
I’m learning how to build a better boat“
-Kenney Chesney
