I collect sea glass —
pieces of clear and colored glass that were, at some point, thrown into the ocean, broken, and are now polished and made beautiful from years of being tossed in the waves and scoured on the sand. The excitement is in the hunt as I walk along the beach, enjoying the water and waves. Imagine: what was once garbage has become a treasure beyond measure.
On my birthday one year, my adult daughters whisked me off to an island near our home to look for sea glass.
As I walked on the beach with my daughters that day, I glanced down. Right between my toes sat a cobalt blue pebble.
If a bottle floats on the sea and never encounters a storm or smashes into some other debris, it may come to rest on the sand and eventually be buried forever. But if it hits rough seas and crashes on the rocks, it will break. The resultant fragments will be tossed about and eventually burnished into the treasured pieces of sea glass that I collect.
Are not our setbacks a bit like sea glass?
As we encounter adversity, we are forced to adapt and grow. I encourage you to find what works for you — everyone is different and lives with his or her own unique circumstances I have shared my story with you from the first symptoms to diagnosis, from early strategies to the routines and processes that have helped me live with my new normal. My hope is that reading about my journey may help you discover your own path. As you travel through rough patches, may you be encouraged by the knowledge that others share your struggles and are living their lives in the best way possible.