Love is Like the Ocean

My dad and I loved to watch storms. We would put on raincoats, get in the car, and head for the beach. We were storm chasers! We were mesmerized by how the dark stormy clouds slowly crept towards us like a lion stalking its prey. We knew the rain would soon be upon us, yet my dad and I still walked toward the sea. When we got close enough, we would be captivated as we watched the waves growing wilder and fiercely crashing and splashing as they slammed the shore. Most people were frantically packing up their beach blankets, taking down their umbrellas, and running for their cars! Not us! My dad and I were not fair weather friends of the sea!

Love is like the ocean.

However, we have very different expectations of love. We expect the sea to be rough, tumultuous, fierce, and sadly, even destructive at times. No one expects the sea to be calm and inviting all the time. Yet, we still love and enjoy the ocean. We love to stare at it, swim in it, take our boats out on it, and explore the depths of it. Yet, despite the pain and destruction it can cause, the sea still enchants most of us.

Can you imagine not enjoying the ocean because the sea doesn’t behave as you would like it to during storms? No more boating. No more beach days. No more lobstering. No more fishing. Would you abandon the sea because it isn’t always calm and enjoyable? Of course not! We love and accept the ocean just the way it is!

Like the ocean, we must accept LOVE just as it is! Love has high and low tides. Some days we can see the bottom. On other days we fear what is lurking below the surface. Our egos get thrown against the rocks. We might be drifting together peacefully and then unexpectedly become separated by an enormous wave. Maybe we feel like we are drowning one day, and then find ourselves playfully splashing and laughing the next. That is the nature of love. So, consider creating more with your partner. More trust. More vulnerability. More respect. More communication. More acceptance. More love. There is so much good in your relationship, even during the storms. Don’t be a fairweather friend to love!

My dad passed away in 2020. I miss chasing storms with him. Now and then, when I walk along the seashore and see a storm brewing in the distance, I smile and remember… some things you can only learn in a storm.