We were on a family trip with my in-laws in Mazatlan Mexico. We were hanging out on the beach relaxing when I decided I wanted to go play in the ocean. The sea was angry that day my friends. A big wave came and hit me in the back of my knees, it slammed me down under the water. I tried to adjust my swimsuit that was all twisted as I moved a little further out into deeper water. A wave hit me knocked me down and pulled me out further into the ocean. I had never experienced an undercurrent like that and it freaked me out. When my head came up out of the water my hair was completely covering my face I couldn’t see anything. I went under water to try to wash my hair back out of my face so I could see. When I came up I got hit in the face by another wave, apparently my mouth was open and everything because I swallowed salt water and was coughing and choking. Salt water was in my closed eyes, I knew how ridiculous I must look to everyone on shore. I had so much sand in the crotch of my swimsuit I would look like a man if I were to stand up. So I was trying to wash the sand out of the bottom of my swimsuit as I got slammed again by another wave. This kept repeating over and over. I would get knocked down, flipped around in the water, I was dizzy and disoriented.
My husband seeing the distress I was in came out to help me. I was so relieved when I felt him grab my arm to help me. I got hit by another wave and was knocked under water again a few more times. He kept saying “Babe, are you serious?” I was still getting knocked under water, coughing and choking. All I could think about was how overwhelming it was, how were there so many waves hitting me so quickly back to back and completely owning me? I was a wreck. “Babe are you serious?” He said again. I was laughing at my struggle, he was laughing. I was still trying to not take anymore water in my face. I said “Babe! HELP!” He calmly said “Stand up!”
I was confused. I then placed one foot in the sand and wobbled as I stood up. I was still dizzy and he helped to stabilize me as I held onto him laughing so hard trying to now stand on my own two feet. My body was so tired from trying to fight all the strong waves. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t even realize I was on my knees. I had been knocked down and moved around but I kept going back to my knees. We now jokingly refer to this as the day he saved me from drowning.
As I was looking for a picture the other day I came across a picture of my husband and I standing on the beach after this had happened. I thought about the similarities to that event and how life can be that way at times. Sometimes I get so focused on how hard and overwhelming life can be, how much there is to do and get caught up in all that’s going on right now. Sometimes it seems like I keep getting knocked down and slammed in the face by one thing after another. It’s especially easy to get disoriented in life if we don’t have a specific focus. At times it may take getting knocked to my knees to make me realize I need to spend a moment on my knees asking for help (and I don’t mean from just my husband). Then, stand up, dust myself off, hopefully laugh a little, see the big picture and move on.
It breaks my heart to think of people who think that it will never get better. That things will never change. Things can always get better in life and we are all capable of change. Sometimes it’s our perspective that’s a bigger problem than what we are actually dealing with or going through.
Living With Sunshine 