Riding with the tide...sometimes the water is so smooth and calm that it doesn't seem real. Then the wind picks up and the illusion of glass is shattered. Waves are getting bigger and stronger, and you have to hold on so tightly or you may get thrown from the boat. Just as you're taking your last breath, and thinking you are about to drown, the wind lets go and the storm passes...you climb back into the boat and lay there exhausted. You gather your courage once again, a little wiser this time, and go with the flow of the water. Hopefully when the wind picks up again, you'll be a little more prepared. You realize that when the water is smooth and beautiful, that it is real. It's not an illusion. You soak up all the beauty and calmness and it gives you strength for the next storm, without even having to prepare for it, just naturally. You learn to ride with the tide, in all it's conditions. Everything is new...Everything is an adventure...Everything is a chance to grow...
