Dear F&F,
June 15, 2009
I got several great responses to my raw & low-down email sent to my shoreside support group. I am blessed to have so many wonderful friends & loving family. Hearing how much people are with me in spirit really helps me feel connected & not go completely round the bend.
Sister Maria\’s sweet reply to my Low Down day:
\”Being at sea must truly connect you with the deepest parts of yourself, the good, the icky, the scary, the brave. What an opportunity to be free from all other distractions and plumb the depths of your being. Of course, that wasn\’t your intention, for that usually people sign up to sit on a cushion in a dark room with incense burning.
Fortunately, it sounds as if you dip in and out of those places and are still surrounded by love, good food, capable men. Parts of this experience will be lots better in the telling than the living I am
sure, as many of our grueling life experiences are. May you enjoy the ups and dig into the downs in a way that continues to feed your soul.
For an earth sign like you, who loves creature comforts as much as I do, this is a super stretch. But, you have always been good at stretches (of your soul as well as yoga). I am sure Scott is grateful to and proud of you. And you can be proud of yourself. Hang in there, I hear land is just days away.\”
Friend Linda had this suggestion:
\”I have something you may be able to use the next time you \’bottom out\’. Begin to sing, \”Nobody knows the trouble I\’ve seen, Nobody knows my sorrow. Nobody knows the trouble I\’ve seen, it\’s such a (sad, horrid, rotten, stinky, lousy, miserable, stupid, annoying – choose one or all) tomorrow.\”
Sing loudly, slump over, sing sadly, Feel the words, feel your misery, sing with feeling! But sing out! Don\’t stop until you begin to smile and I guarantee you WILL begin to smile. Keep singing until you feel the smile all over. This is one of my favorite things to do when self-pity takes over. Self pity is where I can really shine! But a quick reminder of how silly my \”sorrows\” are and things come back into a better perspective. Yeah, there are lots of things to gripe about, but being retired and taking care of a herd of cats (or, as in your case, sailing away) aren\’t the worst things in this world. Annoying stuff to be sure. Unpleasant, uncomfortable, demanding, achy, (you think of some) but life threatening? No. Life altering? Perhaps. Reason to pitch it all in? No. Reason to gripe? You Bet! So, next time Mr. Misery comes to call, wallow for a bit and then begin to sing, \”Nobody knows the trouble I\’ve seen . . .\” and remember, this was an old slave song. Now THEY had troubles.
Heck, you can be miserable anywhere! Why not while being seasick, diesel sick, motion fatigued and sick and tired of tedious adjustments of sail and gizmos? Besides, did you expect this to be a \’thrill a minute\’ adventure, one endless round of joyful cavorting with dolphins, a daily round of glorious sunrises and sunsets?\”
And here is what friend Lori wrote to cheer me up:
2007 – Chinese year of the Chicken – Bird Flu Pandemic devastates parts of Asia
2008 – Chinese year of the Horse – Equine Influenza decimates Australian racing
2009 – Chinese year of the Pig – Swine Flu Pandemic kills hundreds of pigs/humans around the globe.
Next year 2010 – Chinese year of the Cock – God help us all…
ASIDE FROM SCOTT: This is pure Cindy!
Keep em\’ coming,
Cindy