Smooth seas never made a skillful sailor...

Summery toes on a rocky Washington beach.. my happy place.

I'm grateful for adversity..

Think of the relentless pounding a simple, smooth pebble from the sea takes.  Maybe thousands of years ago in it's original form it was rough, craggy and it possibly had some pretty sharp edges.

Looking back over the last 20 years, it's very safe to say my sharp edges have taken a bit of a pounding.

Adversity.. (life) has this beautiful way of wearing down those edges.. it comes in many different forms and at times it feels relentless, brutal even.. slowly though if you choose to, you can start to see something new taking shape..maybe for the better.

I'm not saying it is easy.. that pounding, the pain as we loose those edges and the rough spots are worked out... ouchy.

But age brings wisdom, the smoothness of knowing how to push through adversity, who to put my trust in and when to let the waves sweep over me instead of trying so hard to fight them.

I like to think that when the once rough rock finally makes it way up to the shore all smooth, soft and grey it can look back at the sea and smile.  Yes the sea was hard on her, yes it broke her, yes it hurt like hell and at times truthfully she thought she would not make it...

BUT 

The peace the pebble found on that shore would not be half as sweet without knowing the pain from the waves of adversity.