Before I begin to lay out for you the journey I took to heal myself from Crohn's Disease, I want to share some thoughts that come up for me as I look back at all I have lived, worked and healed through. This analogy came to me today and I feel that it conveys the image of what I most want people to take away from my lived experience. This is what I want my daughters to believe about themselves and the possibilities that await them in their lives
A letter to my daughters:
Life is like a voyage at sea. At the moment of our birth we are given a beautiful ship. For some it is armed with qualities that help it adapt to life at sea. A strong hull, tall masts, and full sails. Others may have been challenged with weakened hulls or ripped sails. The most important piece however, is that there is a wheel with which this ship can be guided, oriented and steered toward the vast horizon. In this life we will be surrounded by ships full of people charting their course, and seeking their path. Many will offer you a map. They will tell you that this map leads to: Treasure, The Promised Land, Freedom, Enlightenment. They will tell you that if you do not follow this map, then you will surely become lost, capsize or be set upon by pirates. You can choose to follow a Map that someone else charted. It perhaps may bring you to the Promised Land or to freedom, but then again, perhaps it may not. Perhaps the destination was never really the point anyway. At the end of the day remember that this is your boat and You alone are the Captain. As I reach the middle years of my life, I am starting to realize that the purpose of life is not to find the right map or to align myself with the right fleet of ships that will guide me to safe harbor. Why is it that the thought of blazing a trail of your own wakens the fear of becoming lost or shipwrecked at the bottom of the sea? The purpose of this life is to realize that this ocean is vast and you have been gifted a boat with tremendous capabilities. The purpose is to realize that You, the Captain of this ship, have been gifted with tremendous gifts and capabilities as well. When you explore the gifts and capacities of both yourself and your ship you begin to realize what an adventure awaits you, and how much you have to share in this life. Where would you like to go as you explore this vast, endless ocean? Are you called to warmer seas to swim with the dolphins? Are you called to the frigid arctic to test your strength against the elements? Do you stop and help those that have become shipwrecked along the way? Can you provide them with wood and nails to rebuild their boat or simply a place to rest from the weary storms of life?
We are all ships at sea making way, blazing our path. The water beneath us however, is one. It is all connected and as such, so are we. When the currents move and change, we are all affected. Perhaps we may even be able to influence the very waters themselves. What we all think, believe, want and strive for could very well make up the fabric of this ocean of collective consciousness in which we journey.
My wish for you is that you feel the strength of your hull, the power of the wind in your sails, the wisdom of you inner voice, and the passion in your heart. Let this be your guide. Know that I will always be here to provide you safe harbor and trust yourself to blaze the path of your life, wherever it may carry you in this vast, vast ocean.
Safe Travels!