I have learned over the years to ride the waves on this ocean of life. I have not had the privilege of living near, nor visiting the ocean more than a handful of times. I often feel though, that life’s challenges, like waves, continue to roll one after the other, almost endlessly. Sometimes these waves are large and ominous. Other times, they are gentler; but they never, ever cease completely.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been nearly knocked over by three giant waves. (They say that things happen in “threes”; but I would say more accurately, they happen in multiples of threes. While I was working at my new job with the horticulture crew at Garvan Woodland Gardens, I was feasted upon all over my body, by chiggers. At that same time, my cat became terribly ill, requiring an expensive trip to the veterinarian. But, as I have already pointed out, there was a third wave right on the back of those two troubles. My truck did not start on the morning I was supposed to show up for a follow-up doctor appointment, for the chigger bites. I rescheduled the appointment; but first thing Monday morning my cat had relapsed. My truck was scheduled to be taken to the mechanic that afternoon. I found a new vet, called into work to let them know I would be late and raced over to the vet clinic with my cat. This resulted in another missed doctor appointment for the chigger bites. I had to rely on newly made friends and neighbors, and coworkers, to give me rides to and from the automobile repair shop. My truck repair was finished by Tuesday afternoon. I picked up my cat after work today. The vet had kept him overnight for two nights. I have been unable thus far to reschedule the doctor visit; but thankfully, the chigger bites are healing.
In the middle of all of this, I was transferred out of the horticulture department and moved to a new, indoor position. It comes with a huge learning curve; but again thankfully, there are no chiggers in the office where I am now working. Nor is there any poison ivy, or ticks, or mosquitos.
I have never surfed, but watching a surfer riding the ocean waves looks just like my life. The waves come. They knock me down sometimes. I get up again. I get knocked down again. I get up again. And again. And again.
