Life is unpredictable. Some days you want to run and hide under the covers, while on other days, it is seemingly perfect. Then again, ‘seemingly’, doesn’t always mean it is.
While one can camouflage the flaws on a canvas with a clever stroke of the brush, how does one do that with life? Sweeping them under the carpet, doesn't rid you of your problems and by ignoring them, they grow wild, like unwanted weeds in the garden of life, till they are staring you in the face, ugly and out of control!
Isn’t it strange how as children, we go to school, to get an education, well into adult life and we learn a variety of subjects, yet what about the subject called Life. There is no school, no university and no reference book that gives you instructions about how to live life.
Our experiences teach us. Everyone who crosses our path, whether for a while or a lifetime, has a purpose for being there and we learn something from each other. The lessons are not always easy, some are challenging, some literally drag us out of our comfort zone, but they always give us a further insight into ourselves, help us grow while learning something from the experience.
Like the bully who made you cry, the friend that stood by you when you were down or the teacher who encouraged you when you were ready to give up – they all taught you different lessons, from being strong, compassionate and caring to persevering in the face of adversity.
When things are going according to plan, it is easy to be brimming over with smiles and feel a sense of peace, like the joyful caress of the rays of the sun, seeping through the dawn. Likewise, when times are tough, finances are tight and relationships are strained, it is easy to throw yourself a pity party and stew in it.
Life is like a roller coaster ride, but unlike the ride, life doesn’t just stop when you feel you can’t deal with its ups and downs. Life today maybe stressful, but there is always tomorrow, another day when the sun will rise again, bringing with it a new dawn and a new ray of hope. One just has to ride the storm and pick up the pieces once it subsides, re-build what has been destroyed and start again.
Life’s lessons may be a mix of sweet and sour or smooth and rugged, but the experience is always unpredictable, just as life is!
