When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure – Peter Marshall
Irene and I stood at the base of the barranca and looked over the large expanse of the estuary. The sun was setting; water was beginning to trickle into the deeper hollows. "We need to go now!" she exclaimed "OK" I sighed, "deep breath, let’s go!" We ran as if our lives depended upon our speed, and it did. Bare feet slapping on the damp sand, ragged breaths sucking in the wet, salty moisture laden air, we raced time. Ten feet away from the other side, we heard the roar, running even faster we laughed wildly at the danger. Knowing if we did not reach the outer bank, we would be caught in the massive tidal flow and strong rip currents. "One day, we will wait too long and then….!" Irene said, hands on her hips. "Nonsense!" I answered "it’s not our time! Lets find your father and see what he has dug up!" Even at the tender age of 10, I had a sense of time and space. Irene was my best friend. She was born in Cuba, her family having escaped one terror in Germany in the late 30’s only to enter another. Moving to Ecuador in the 50’s like many others, a new life was constructed. They had a primitive stilt vacation house in Playas, a small finishing village an hour out of Guayaquil and a universe away. Her father was an amateur archaeologist and the 2-room shack was filled with beautiful and unusual pottery shards and small artifacts. That one summer, I would go with them to the beach and Irene and I would have adventures that would stay in my heart for the rest of my life. I can still feel that sense of danger and excitement today. I can see us laughing wildly at everything. At the time, it was my greatest joy and I always held it close, as a light, when I went home to hell. I think of all the hard times many people have and are having, and how they suffer in absolute pain and cannot comprehend the why. They focus on their sorrow carrying it with them as permanent deformity and burden to their being. They leverage their disability, or inability or lack of this, that or the other on their sleeve for all to see and pity. They cannot see the other side of the estuary and are caught in the rip tide without hope and filled with fear. In addition, they cannot understand that they are whom they are because of all the bad that happened or is happening. Many can carry forward, many do not. If our lives were filled with nothing but good, we would never know joy. We are each where we are supposed to be at any point in time in our individual lives. Acceptance is so very hard for most….to take the good out of the bad, to be able to run forward with joy of the journey, laughing at the danger, willing to take the chance. Hello June, I am still here!
