The tide comes in and the tide goes out. Is one better than the other? High tide washes interesting things up on shore; low tide exposes marine life not otherwise seen. Life exists at both extremes and everything in between. High tide makes for one set of circumstances, low tide the other. Are we not to fully enjoy the one while we have it, or do we sit and wait for the other to return? As constantly as the tide changes, so do our lives and moods and circumstances. Is not every moment to be cherished? Without the valleys, we wouldn’t appreciate the mountaintops.
My husband used to call PMS “Pretty Mean Stuff,” as I was not the nicest person in the world on those days. I didn’t even realize myself how much my hormones were raging until he said something and I opened my mouth to respond. When something nasty came flying out, I felt as much a victim as he did. At least he could get away from me. I couldn’t. One of the benefits of growing older is that those days are finally behind me.
Hormones are one of life’s mysteries that I’m dealing with again, only now as it pertains to my teenager’s life. They can make for some fairly challenging days.
There are other mysteries I’ve encountered that make little or no sense to me, too. I watch the news and can’t understand all the violence around the world or the horrific disasters that claim innocent lives. I don’t understand greed and the constant drive towards obtaining more. Why can’t people be happy with what they have, if what they have is enough? Why are some men so afraid of equality for women? Why can’t our government just do things that make sense? There seems to be no good answers to life’s mysteries.
One of my favorite song lyrics is a line by James Taylor that says, “The secret to life is enjoying the passing of time.” It doesn’t matter what the day holds, what mood I’m in, what the news is, or how strongly the hormones are raging in my child, I try to find something to enjoy, something to thank God for, some reason to be glad to be alive, as I know all too well that things may change faster than the tide.
Everyday is a miracle. Everyday has beauty. Whether the sun shines and we can gaze upon the mountains, or hear the birds singing, or whether it’s raining and we can be glad we have a roof over our head to keep us dry, there is always something for which we can be thankful.
And the way I figure it, if we were all easy to live with everyday, it robs the other family members the opportunity to show unconditional love, because one of the greatest gifts, as well as mysteries in life, is the gift of forgiveness. Especially when dispensed on those hormonal days.
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