The Tides in Our Lives

We all have our fair share of ups and downs. In life, we experience happiness, sadness, pain, heartache, anger, fear and peace. Just like the oceans which never miss a visit from the tides.



The gravitational forces of the sun and the moon cause the sea level to rise up and down at certain times of the day. In our lives there are fates, destiny and consequences that play a role in determining our happiness and sadness.



The storms and tsunamis are some of the calamities that cause hearts to break and lives lost. I wouldn’t forget the day when tsunami hit Asia.

I still remember the sadness and panic in my colleagues’ faces. We, the journalists, were speechless. We frantically tried to look for news on those who died and those who survived. One of our journalists in Banda Aceh was among those who were lost. Some of my friends’ friends and relatives were missing too.



Some said that it was better for those who died in the calamity because they did not feel the hectic of the after effect. Those who survived were faced with different issues such as food, housing and other basic necessities. But they survived and the majority of them are still here today.



I remember meeting a girl from Banda Aceh. Her name was Zyah. The young girl still talked excitedly about her dreams despite the nightmare she experienced just weeks beforehand. During the interview, she recalled her experience when the tsunami hit her town. She told me about her fear, her broken hopes and how she still managed to have fun after the disaster that basically left almost all of the population broke.



I have learned from her that although troubles might face us, there are still good things that we can be thankful and smile about. For her, it was the fact that exams were canceled. But she was also sad because many of her friends died during the calamity.



I only know that it doesn’t matter how frantic they seem, the storms will fade and the sun will soon shine again in the horizon. It does not matter how hard life seems sometimes, there is always a way out, even though it sometimes takes us years to get out. Even in pitch black darkness, there is still a glimpse of light that will show us a way out of the dungeon.



I’ve been through some stormy days where all hopes seem to be lost. I’ve been lost and left wandering in an area in life that I wasn’t familiar with. I didn’t have a map and any sense of direction.



I have felt sadness and misery so deep that my heart literally hurts. But I knew that even if I only managed to smile for 1 minute that day, I would smile for 5 minutes the next day.



Sometimes it takes years for prayers to be answered, months for answers to be given and centuries for inventions to be found.



Joy, courage, pain, faith, patience and endurance are amongst the things that enable us to survive through the thundery nights. When the rain seems too heavy that it blocks your view… remember, the sun will shine again one day.



Don’t give up, keep going and hang in there. Don’t worry about yesterday because what was done cannot be undone. Don’t worry about the future too much because you don’t know what the future holds.



Do your best and be the best that you can be today because that way, you know that a bright future will await for you, even though your plans may not always be fulfilled. You may not get what you want but you can be a better person after what was lost. Because, life is not always about smiles and yes-es…



Some people might choose to be bitter and hate everyone for bad things that happen to them. Some curse and blame God, people, circumstances and even themselves. But, unfortunately some things in life cannot be controlled and we might as well learn to accept things the way they are which still persisting to do our best.



I try to look at problems and the bad things that happen in my life as an opportunity to learn and grow in maturity. I might not gain million of dollars or thousands of friends when I die. But I know that when the day comes, I would have gained the wisdom I need to get through this life.



The good may not actually be that good. The bad may actually turn up well. The bad might enable me to find ways to get to know myself, my dreams and my future direction. Sometimes problems lead us closer to other more important things in life such as spirituality and people. This inner need is one of the most important survival tools in every human’s life.



Mental fulfillment cannot be bought yet when lacking, it drives people nuts.



As much as we want our lives to be always colourful and free of pain and misery…. It will not happen. You will be sad. You will be angry. You will be hurt. These are the natural things that occur because we live in an imperfect world.



But you will also be happy and joyful because there are still blessings that surround your lives. Although we fail to recognize them sometimes.



Life is good and bad combined. But overall, life is good, I think. It only depends on how you view things that happen to you and how far you let them to affect you.