Storms and Shipwrecks
Many years ago I had a wonderful therapist who helped me through a difficult time filled with loss and change. She said to me, “Right now, you are in the storm. One day, you’ll look back on this and say, ‘that was really hard.’” Not that-was-hard-but-you-learned-many-lessons-and-should-be-grateful-for-the-challenges; she knew I wasn’t ready to hear that yet. She simply acknowledged where I was and that it wouldn’t always be like this.
That stuck with me, and I know now that all storms pass. Of course, when you are in the center of one, it doesn’t make it any easier to get rained on, tossed around by the wind, or struck by lightening. Ouch.
But know that it will pass. If you don’t like where you are right now, that’s ok; it will get different. And when times are sweet, savor them; be present and grateful. They, too, will change. Hopefully into something even sweeter, but an occasional cloud or shower – or maybe even a storm – will blow through as well. And when the storm ends and the clouds clear, you’ll probably be able to see the lessons in those tough times and even feel some gratitude. But while you’re in the storm, it’s ok to just acknowledge “this is really hard.”
A storm is a great metaphor for the difficult times in our lives – so is a shipwreck. I’ve shared this wonderful piece on loss and grief with a number of people and want to share it with you, too. (Hopefully you’re not in need of it at this time.)
http://www.thatericalper.com/2015/08/16/person-is-asking-for-advice-hn-how-to-deal-with-grief-this-reply-is-incredible/
“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” – James M. Barrie
Wishing you few shipwrecks and many roses!
p.s. Your comments/likes are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching