Ebb & Flow

As girlfriends and I commiserate about life, the words “ebb and flow” have been repeatedly entering our conversations—the upward and downward spiral of losing weight, the joys of feeling connected and the inner turmoil of loneliness, the creation of new friendships and the loss of old ones, feeling settled in one’s career and then sensing a deep restlessness for more—you name it, this phrase has its application.  The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “ebb and flow” as “a condition or rhythm of alternate forward and backward movement.”  Take any area of life and I think we can all attest to the “ebb and flow” experience—times of abundance and times of famine, times of joy and times of sorrow, times of passion and times of apathy. . . The ebb  and flow of life is natural, as natural as the air that we breathe; and yet, when the tide changes in our lives, we remain unsettled.  I remind myself to remain grateful for the countless blessings that surround me.  I remind myself that my life has Purpose.  I discipline my mind to remember that, despite my circumstances, I always have the ability to choose my reaction.  However, what I sometimes forget to remember is that the “ebb and flow” of life is natural, an expected state for the way human beings were designed.  The lesson for me has been to tell myself, “It is okay.”  It is okay to feel frustrated that my body can’t seem to shed the 15 pounds of 7-year-post baby weight.  It is natural to experience sadness when losing friendships.  It is expected to feel overwhelmed when creating boundaries and implementing new parenting techniques.  The words “ebb and flow” remind me that I live within skin.  I breathe air.  I am human.  It is okay. . . . What do you need to remember as you face this season of your life?  How can you embrace your humanity?

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