There are times it is hard to navigate. My journey through the seas of gratitude encounter the odd storm or two. It appears that I am in a metaphorical squall right now; it is making it hard for me to “stay the course”. I feel like taking my hand off the ship’s wheel and going below deck to seek respite from the weather. It is hard to resist the temptation to go below, but it is obvious that taking my eyes off of the storm does not lessen it’s threat. I cannot abdicate my role in navigating the rough waters. I must simply isolate each wave in the storm and face it bow first. Deal with each one separately and distinctly. I cannot deal with the entire storm, but I can deal with each wave and gust of wind. Life is like that. A bunch of adversity may band together to form a formidable storm, however, isolate each thing and address it separately. I write today to remind myself not to get overwhelmed by turbulent waters and to keep both hands planted on the ship’s wheel. The path of gratitude must endure. The path of gratitude recognizes the contrasting nature of dark days and sunny days. The path of gratitude is the lighthouse that guides the ship through the darkest hour on the seas.ENough maritime metaphor, this is making me homesick for Nova Scotia.

The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil water-way leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky – seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.  ~ Joseph Conrad