In life it may seem like there are many twists and turns and at times we feel like we don't know whether we are coming or going. One thing is for certain though, we are always in choice. We may not realize it but, in this life we always have a choice. In these moments we can either choose to react to a situation or we can create. Though it may not seem like it in that moment there is always a choice!
Recently I felt very, very sick, and even that is putting it mildly. To me it was a strange feeling because I really don't get sick anymore. I used to get sick all the time I had a lot of anxiety and so many fears, that most of my adult life I felt awful. When my family caught colds, flu’s or anything I would catch it. Then not only would I get it but, my body would hold on to it for a while. I would be down in bed and then also be feeling guilty for all the things that were not getting done in my house.
Thursday night I started feeling very nauseous. I even had to leave a very enjoyable meeting before I wanted to. I am so glad that I listened to that inner voice because I made it home just in time! No details but, let's just say eww! I crawled into bed and at 3 am way more yuck! I crawled back into bed and stayed there until 3 P.M. Friday afternoon. We had, as a family decided ealier in the week that Friday was the day that we were going to have some fun and just go with the flow. We had wanted to do it earlier in the week but, due to weather and prior commitments we were not able. The idea for this day came about because we had all been caught in the same routine. It was time to get out and enjoy life. Take a moment and not only enjoy each others company but also bask in the beauty and wonder of nature.
As I was laying in bed I kept thinking, I don't want to be laying here anymore this is not how I desire to spend my day. Later in the day I sipped some water and had a light snack, I then waited a bit to see if what I had ingested would stay down. I told my husband that I really wanted to embark on this new adventure. He asked me if I was sure and the moment I said I was he gathered the two boys and they went down stairs to get the inner tubes and rubber 2 man boats.
They prepared all that was needed and we separated into two cars. One car would be left at our ending point and one at the place were we would start. I still felt a little weak and dizzy but, I was very excited about this new adventure! We arrived at our starting point then we got all the items ready and cast off. My husband and I were each in an inflatable boat and the two boys were each in an inner tube. As we were floating down this river we were laughing and having a great time. When we saw an obstacle to steer away from we did with ease and even laughed and joked about it. The running joke was the sticks are attacking. We laughed about is so hard and continued to laugh and joke about it for the duration of the trip!
As our journey progressed time seemed to stand still and it felt as though we were in our own little world. There was just peace and relaxation mixed with some rowing and steering. As the evening continued night was upon us and we realized that it was going to be dark very soon. We did not think to bring a flashlight with us because we were unaware of how long it was going to actually take. My husband informed us that it was going to become dark in a while and that we might not be able to see very well. Another factor was we still had a long way to go.
In this situation we had a few choices panic, go with the flow or find some area to get out and walk the rest of the way. We chose to just go with the flow of the river. It was absolutely gorgeous out there the sky was filled with stars and we were able to see not only shooting stars but satellites as well. The tree lined banks were filled with fireflies, so many in fact that the trees looked like they were covered in twinkling Christmas lights. One by the boys had become cold so Brandon climbed into Rob's boat with him and later Sean climbed into mine. At one point my husband posed the question "did you ever think that we would ever do anything like this?" I said no, but aren't we glad that we did.
What a beautiful and amazing awe filled experience we were having. We soon learned that even though we could not see the obstacles that were up a head we could in fact hear the difference in the sound of the water before we reached them. This made it so we were able to steer away and continue our trip without any harm. Much awe, and joy was being experienced by all.
This little adventure can be compared to our Journey in life. We cannot always control everything and do not always see all of life's obstacles in front of us. We can however choose not to react and to listen to that small voice inside of us, that knowing, that intuition. Much like the subtle difference that we were able to distinguish in the sound of the water when there were obstacles in our path.
As many sacred texts state Be still and know that I AM. In the stillness is where the answers lie inside us all. This is what allows us to go with the flow of life. It is the resistance that causes us the confusion, pain and dis-ease. Life is what we choose it to be! We can choose to go with the flow or we can choose to resist. It is in essence always our choice!
