Uncharted Waters

by Barb Casper
In the grand voyage of life, the destination is not as significant as the journey itself. The beauty lies in our ability to find our way through the myriad of challenges that come our way. We navigate the vast ocean of life’s mysterious existence with courage as our compass and hope as our sail.

BIRTH –
Our first breath,
a signal flare of our arrival
into a world promising
tempest and tranquility.

Akin to steering a vessel through
unpredictable seas, life presents
obstacles, challenges & opportunities.
Each step forward a venture
into uncharted waters.
The voyage ahead obscured
by mists of the unknown, uncertainty,
& turbulent conditions …
joy & sorrow, pleasure & pain,
gain & loss, ups & downs.

CHILDHOOD –
Curiosity …
an opportunity to explore,
play, understand our world,
ourselves.
With every experience we learn;
Each stumble, each fall …
a lesson in resilience,
renewed determination.

Family & caregivers
guide us; encourage us,
serving as our compass.
Pointing us to safe harbors,
away from treacherous currents;
building trust, & faith in our abilities.

ADOLESCENCE –
Waters grow choppy;
surges of emotions, pressures,
& new responsibilities swell.
This time ushers in a stormier season.

Friendships & first loves,
anchors & sails …
ground us, propel us forward.
Defiantly, we set out on a new course …
throwing caution to the wind,
testing our vessel against waves of
peer pressure, self-discovery.

ADULTHOOD –
A time to pursue ambitions,
forge lasting relationships.
Dream of …
a stable career, financial security,
marriage, family, children,
a home of our own.
Endless questions & decisions;
a balancing act between aspirations & reality,
independence & responsibility.
Which star to follow, which currents to ride,
what path to explore?
A time to learn, adapt, evolve!

MIDLIFE –
We face shifting sands, tidepools,
silent, murky, mysterious depths.
A myriad of unknown dangers lurk
determined to swallow us up.
Weathering the fiercest storms,
& the fear of becoming capsized,
our faith and resolve to return home
to our heart’s center becomes uncertain.

This space and time – a moment of reckoning.
The horizon fades into the distance.
Facing gusty winds & rouge waves,
we button the hatches, gather the sails, &
hope for the best!

Tossed about by rolling, heaving seas,
lessons of past voyages,
support from others
become our lighthouse
guiding us to shore
through the fog of uncertainty,
keeping us steadfast, resilient
in the face of heavy winds.

TWILIGHT YEARS –
Ever-present, rising and receding tides
shape and sculpt upcoming journeys.
We often reminisce about past voyages;
contemplative reminders
of seas serene and tumultuous.
We tell stories of
the journeys, not the destination
the joys of sailing, not the harrowing moments.

As we set sail,
leaving the safe harbor behind,
we face life’s only certainty; our final demise.
In this precious & rarified space,
we sail onward, deeper into the unknown.

We open our hearts to what awaits; eternity.
Because, you see, the art of navigation occurs
not through avoidance, but through engagement.
SAIL ON! SAIL ON!