During the time my husband and I lived in Germany we took a
Mediterranean Cruise. We chose a cruise based upon the numerous
archeological sites we would visit. Our journey with Costa
Cruise Lines started at Genoa, Italy and followed the coast,
visiting Pompeii and Sicily, and after crossing the sea to Egypt,
we again followed the coast and visited Israel, Rhodos and
Greece.
I remember the evening we left the view of Italy and headed out
into the middle of the sea. I was outside on an upper deck,
and noticed a small sparrow flying around the ship. I remember
thinking that he ought to be returning to land pretty soon. We
went below and had another wonderful supper then went to the
theatre to see our evening show which featured contortionists,
jugglers, and other circus-type acts. It was obvious that the
evening show was poorly planned as we watched balancing acts at
high sea. The human pyramid had to hold onto the low stage
ceiling to keep from falling. Off to bed to see what origami
creation our room steward had made from our bath towels this
time.
The next morning we headed up to the top deck for the breakfast
that had already become our daily treat. Of all the possible
breakfast options available on our ship, we discovered the
focaccia bread served there on the top deck. It was fresh and
crunchy and left olive oil on our fingers. We ate it with juice,
coffee and fresh fruit. Costa Cruise lines is Italian owned,
so our meals followed that tradition in a grand style.
Once up above we saw, huddled in a corner, the tiny sparrow.
He looked cold, scared and terribly alone. As people began to
emerge from every crevice, he kept his distance. He stayed on
the far reaches of the boat -- hiding from the cold next to
whatever metal poles and structures he could find. This
normally free-flying creature was stranded at sea. I saw him
again two or three times that day. That's about how often I saw
my husband. It's amazing how hard it is to find someone on a
big boat once you lose them. I heard people talking about the
bird, and some interesting concepts arose: "He probably doesn't
speak Egyptian." "He'll never see his family again." I think
everyone really felt sorry for the poor thing.
The next morning we docked at Egypt and I never saw the bird
depart. But it did strike me that he had experienced an
irreversible adventure.
I remember this experience and know that I must recognize what
my foundation is and keep it in sight. I can unknowingly fly
away from it. For me, my foundation is truth (I'm a realist),
my values, quiet time, and my Christian faith.
What threatens to distract us and pull us away? For me, it's
busy work, perfectionism, what others think, and my need to be
in control. It can be so easy to be carried away with clothing
catalogs, worrying about what could happen, and daydreaming
about future happiness. Distractions keep me from remembering
what is happening now.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Psychotherapist and author
David Kundtz. "We had better know what diem we want to carpe
before we carpe it, or we are likely to end up with the wrong
day." Living by default isn't really living. It's being
reactive, and that's what co-dependents do.
Living intentionally requires one simple thing -- attention.
Simply notice what’s happening around me, and step back and take
the time to make my own decision about how I want to respond.
Being grounded gives me strength to not get lost when I'm
bombarded by the crazy world around me. I don't want to miss
my boat, but I don't want to take the wrong boat, either.
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