Wherever the Wind Blows Me

Cooper, in all his nautical glory

This past weekend, I went out to the lake with my sister and her husband.  They have a boat (dubbed "The Penelope Cruise" by my sister and me), and one of my favorite things to do is head out onto the water with them and their dog, Cooper, who LOVES the water.

We went out on Sunday, but the weather wasn't necessarily ideal boating weather.  It was maybe 70 degrees, somewhat cloudy.  That said, we chose not to go swimming.  Instead, we drove the boat out to the middle of the lake and shut off the motor.  And after a lovely lunch of sandwiches, we were sleepy.  Donning our sweatshirts and sweatpants and wrapped in towels to stay warm, we decided to doze.  So we did just that.  I was manning the bow of the mighty vessel (a strong term, perhaps...), drifting in and out of sleep.  When I woke up, we were in a totally different part of the lake, headed toward a sandbar.  So my brother-in-law fired up "Penelope" and headed out to the middle of the lake again, where the engine was again shut off and our nautical naps continued. 

It was amazing how far we had drifted in such a short amount of time.  Wind is a pretty amazing thing.  We've learned to harness its power and use it as an amazing renewable energy source.  Wind can power huge equipment and large operations.  It can send ships all the way around the world-- and it's likely that wind brought your family to America at some point.  It can blow trees down in an angry storm, and it can take lives in an instant by demolishing homes and other buildings.  Wind has been known to blow cars off huge suspension bridges, and we've seen it injure/kill people by blowing things like concert stages right off the ground. 

Wind can be both a blessing and a curse, and very often its powerful gusts can come out of nowhere.  Too often, it seems, you look around after a windstorm and wonder how it all happened... where did this mess come from?  Or you wake up and look around after the wind has passed through and wonder how you got to where you are.  We've all experienced wind in our life.  Sometimes it can be a good thing, but other times it can blow you too far off course.  Life seems better when you've just got those warm, gentle breezes-- those pleasant happenings that are likely to move you just a smidge, without making it too difficult to get back to where you started.  When you experience the BIG gusts, though, it can definitely shake you up once you awake and realize just how far from home you are. 

Sometimes there's no way to control the gusts of wind in your life.  Sometimes you don't realize the wind is coming until it's already passing through, and sometimes the storm is completely over before you even realize there was a storm.  No matter what breezes or storms head your way, it's always possible to navigate your way back to where you started, back to where you're comfortable.  Every so often I wake up, look around, and I have to think about how I got there.  There are times I can see the spot where I began, and it doesn't take much effort to get back there.  There are other times, though, when I look around and nothing looks familiar- - it's all chaos.  That  place can be a terrifying place, and if you feel alone, it's even worse.  When I find myself there (and believe me, I do), I challenge myself to look around.  If I can make myself see far enough, I'll see my "lifeboat"-- my family/friends-- who are there to help me.  Even if they can't help me find the place where I started, they'll help me get back on my way.  And that way is always a little brighter when I'm not alone.

Here's wishing you warm and gentle breezes, as well as a loving lifeboat to transport you back to where you belong if you get blown too far off course.