On a Roll
We learn best when we pay attention to the rhythm and majesty of nature. Let’s pretend that you’re a wave. That’s easy, right? I know how you love the beach. As a wave, you’re born when two older waves meet up and crest to their highest point. Two waves suddenly become three. The two original waves start rolling along and you follow in formation. Soon after, you encounter some undercurrent and split off. With the first two waves still in shouting distance, you start to test unfamiliar waters. Sometimes you head back to join the first two, or at least remain close. Finally, you decide to break away. You feel the tug of your own current. You’re ready. You go through spots along the way that are flat and lifeless – it’s hard to find the power to keep moving. Questioning your own worth and examining your purpose is taxing, it leaves you with very little energy to keep moving. Perhaps lying still and flat is best. Maybe life truly is meaningless. But you sense more, feel that tug of your current again, so you build back up and begin to roll again. You encounter storms where the world around swings so violently you’re afraid for your own survival. You watch as other waves try to grab the wind in futility and desperation. They crash into each other and disappear. This violent place has no shelter. Somehow, you manage to hang on and learn to ride out this storm, and the next one, and the one after that, until you lose count. Through all the ups and downs, a master plan begins to take shape: there’s a shore, a beach with your name on it. That’s where you can finally settle down and rest. You watch as other waves break for smaller shores. They are different. You let them compromise.
That’s not for you. Finally, after your long journey, you spy your shore. It’s beautiful, everything you ever imagined and more. Approaching the sand, you remember how you survived both the places of stillness and the times of violence. You exercise patience as you approach, careful not to crest too early. And then, in an act of inspiration and maturity, you touch down… And immediately push back out again. You’re a wave, after all, and you’ve got many more beaches to see. And the current beckons.
Today enjoy the journey. Roll-‐on. I’m proud of you! Love dad
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