I wrote a poem about an ocean wave. It’s a true story.

I was in the ocean once

Floating on my back

Minding my business

The waters were quite calm

I was at peace

Unexpectedly

A wave caught me

Rolled me over

Slammed me against the ocean floor

My body thrashed uncontrollably

Salt water torpedoed through my nose

There was nothing I could do

Then the wave let up

And it was over

I found myself

On the shore

Banged up a bit

And a little dazed

But I was okay

I stood up

Walked back out into the ocean

To float on my back once more.

Sometimes we are peacefully floating on our backs when something unexpected happens, and our lives are thrown into chaos. You did nothing wrong. There’s no one really to be mad at either. Things just happen sometimes.

In a microcosm, that’s what my experience in the ocean represents.

When we get swept up in a wave, we have no choice but to go with it and accept the loss of control for a while. It’s so important, though, to remind ourselves that the wave will eventually let up. No need to resist. Just ride the wave, and if we pay close attention, we’ll notice when we’ve made it back to shore.

The wave analogy captures something about the human condition. Nature is powerful. And it’s not just physical nature like oceans and mountains and storms, but psychological nature as well, like depression and anxiety and confusion.

Heavy feelings and the thoughts that accompany them are pieces of nature too. We can hate them all we want, but they deserve our respect. And maybe even our curiosity.

The shore— this is another important metaphor. We have to notice once we’ve made it back to shore because that’s when we’ve regained a sense of control. We can stand up again, look out at what’s in front of us, and begin charting a path forward.

Strangely, the shore can be hard to notice sometimes.  The water is plenty calm and shallow enough, yet it feels as if we can’t stand. This is when we can become attached to pain, and if we aren’t careful, helplessness can become our identity. So it’s deeply important to realize when you’re back on the shore. The wave is no longer dictating what you do. There may be wounds that need continued care, but a sense of agency is restored.

In other words, I’m talking about resilience.

What an interesting concept: Resilience. I never get tired of pondering it. I’m moved when I see it in others. I feel proud when I can find it within myself. Life can be brutal at times, no question about it. Yet resilience is woven into the human spirit. It’s there for all of us if we are willing to notice.