Life’s Tides Turn Loss Into Gain

Life’s tides

The tides of life happen. There’s nothing to be done about it. When life’s on “ebb” – when the tide has gone out – it may seem forever. You  know life must “flow” again, but as long as it doesn’t yet do so, it’s really hard to remember this law of nature.

Ebb

Six months ago my life’s tide went out. Three deaths in a short amount of time; loss of job; loss of house – I consciously experienced a loss theme but however conscious I was, nothing could change the fact that I had to mourn, feel sad, feel anxious and tired, yet had to go on so felt even worse.

No matter how much awareness I had, I simply had to go through the motions of the emotional effects all this loss had on my person.

Three month’ tide

In hindsight I realise that this time, it took my life’s tide three months to go out, and three months to come back in again.

The way to recovery

When ebb was on its lowest point, I didn’t recognise my stressed, anxious, tired, intolerant self. To help me get back to my happy self I committed to a three month plan of creative recovery, involving writing three pages each morning, and playing with pencils, ink, paints, brushes and pastels.

Flow

The tide is back in. Thank God! I feel happy again, more energised, calm, focused, tolerant, and “on top of things”. I have a new job and a new house, and the people we buried are still with me in heart, soul and memory.

The return of my artist

Not only am I as good as I was half a year ago – I’m better. On the tide’s way in, my artist returned. She was riding flow’s wave to come home. What had started as a series of sad, upsetting and nerve-wrecking experiences, over time transformed into a happy event.

Reflection of change

I’ve changed the header on my website and Facebook page. I’ve changed my profile picture too. Both reflect my happiness and that of my artist.

Loss = gain

Loss, in the end, completed me.

Embracing both sides

The nature of tides is that they keep moving. I know that the current flow will have to change into ebb when it has reached its highest point, like ebb had to change into flow when it had reached its lowest. I accept this. It’s okay. I don’t look forward to it, but I won’t resist it, either. I’ve learned to embrace both sides.

Trust

I have my preference, but I won’t complain when the tide’s gone out again – I know that without it, it can’t come back in, bringing with it parts of me that I had believed to be lost forever. I trust that constant change, ultimately, will benefit me.