Before I begin, let me encourage you to read Part 1 of this series if you haven’t: My Serenity Prayer- Part 1
Lord, grant me the courage to indulge in each experience despite its potential brevity
In a previous article, I shared my belief that happiness should not always be dependent on the idea of permanence. Should we only indulge in an experience if there is the delusion of guarantee that it, or its benefits will last forever? If yes, we would miss out on all the life changing impacts of short-lived experiences. If an experience brought us some sense of happiness, if it taught us a valuable lesson, if it led us somewhere, then it is a blessing… And blessings are still blessings, even if they are temporary. Therefore, I pray for the bravery to indulge in experiences that may help me to grow, regardless of the probability that they may not last.
Dominica is known as the nature island. I became appreciative of not only the beauty of nature but the ability of nature to heal. Although my symptoms did not disappear completely, for the first time since I was diagnosed, I experienced a degree of health I could not even have imagined while I was in Dominica. However, there was an even greater lesson to learn as it pertained to nature’s capacity to heal since I came into contact with its potential to provide both gradual, and to my pleasant surprise, a somewhat instant relief of pain.
While in Dominica, I went to the Emerald Pool. The forest to get there, the birds chirping, the falls, the rocks, the green… Beautiful is such an understatement. However, it was cold. I stood and watched as others jumped into the pool, laughed, swam and screamed in excitement. I thought to myself, “Shoyéa-Gaye, are you going to come to this breathtaking place and sit on the sidelines?” Since I am not the sit-on-the-sidelines lady at all, I jumped in. Oh, it was wonderful! I revelled and basked as I immersed myself in the pool and I loved every second of it. While I was submerged, I was utterly mesmerized by it. When I left, I was happy and I thought I came out unscathed. After a while, however, I got thrown into a terrible flare in view of the fact that arthritis and cold water are not very fond of each other.
In retrospect, that was not one of my wisest decisions. Nevertheless, while I can live with the regret of doing and daring, I cannot live with the regret of an unlived experience. My mind can never rest with not knowing what would have happened if I dared to do. So I took responsibility and dealt with my flare with an “S” on my chest. That flare forced me to try the hot water springs, which contain sulphur, both rewards of Dominica being a volcanic island. For my Trinidadian Precious-Boo (Gleniece Elder), my Dominican Huni-Boo (Anestin Baron) and my courageous and adorable one-year-old Baby-Boo (Prince Jarrahy), who were all clearly physically fit, the journey to the hot springs was a breeze. For me, the walk to the pool was a long and torturous one as my immune system played karate with my joints. Because the country was still recovering from the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, the damaged roads were paved with mud and debris. At one point in our journey, we even had to cross a river on a bridge made from tree branches, with the assistance of Jamaican soldiers. However, as I descended into the warm sulphur water and the heat penetrated my bones, I knew the journey was worth it. Every time I walked out of the hot springs, I left most of my aches in the water.
Morals of my story:
- Happiness is never wasted time:
The impact of Emerald Pool on my health, in no way, decreases its beauty and magnificence or how wonderful it felt while I was in it. The pain of an experience can easily make us forget that it once brought us happiness. The whole experience can become coloured by the negatives. It is my unyielding belief, though, that every second of happiness matters, and should not be forgotten or overlooked. Therefore, I pray earnestly for the ability to remain grateful for every single moment of happiness, irrespective of the duration or context. So was I happy at Emerald Pool? Very! Consequently, in my eyes, Emerald Pool will always be a beautiful place.
- Find the lesson
There is always something to be learnt from each experience, even if one has to dig and search for it. Whether it is what we want or we don’t want, where to go or where not to go, what to do or what not to do…. But we have an obligation to ourselves and our creator, to emerge from each experience with more knowledge than we went in with. So what did I learn? I learnt that Emerald Pool, while it is a beautiful place, is not for me because it is not good for me. Knowledge should change behaviour so what would I do if I visit Emerald Pool again or somewhere like it? I’ll take pictures. Many pictures! I’ll take food and a book so I can snack while I read or do puzzles. Or, I’ll watch my loved ones having fun and live vicariously through them. No more jumping in cold water for me though. If after the experience, our actions are not reflective of an increase in knowledge and growth, we still have not found or applied the lesson. If we do not find and apply the lesson, the experience was in vain.
- It is not a mistake if it leads somewhere
Here’s how I see it: God knew that I was not meant to stay in Dominica at that point in time. He also knew that my health would return to an Emerald Pool level. Therefore, he led me to the hot springs so when I visit Dominica for short periods of time, I could use His gift of nature to find relief. If I had not been to Emerald Pool, I may not have gone to the hot springs. If I had visited the hot springs without going to Emerald Pool first, it is very likely that I would not have come to realise and appreciate the miracle of the hot springs, since I was generally much healthier at that time. Sometimes God gives us some temporary blessings, so we will have a greater appreciation for the permanent ones when they come along. In other cases, the temporary blessings serve the purpose of giving us a glimpse of what we were destined for. For that reason, it is our duty, to ensure we do not get so consumed by the temporary that we allow the permanent to pass us by. When we release our grasp on the temporary, we ultimately leave our hands open to receive the permanent. Even though the road to the permanent may be long and torturous, God always blesses us with amazing persons to not only walk the journey with us, but to direct and help us and share in our joy when we get there.
Considering the repercussions, should I have even stepped into Emerald Pool? I strongly believe I should have. However, I was never meant to stay in it for any extended period of time because it was not good for me. It was simply supposed to take me to somewhere that was…
To be continued….. 🔜 My Serenity Prayer 3
Shoyéa-Gaye Grant ©
Solid stuff