On Seasickness.

When you're seasick, everything in life sucks.
Really.

Just picture yourself sitting outside on a ship that is rocking up and down, back and forth with your stomach going in those same directions deep inside of you.  That delicious dinner you just ate does not want to stay down.  Your stomach is churning, you eyes are tired, your head is pounding, your abs are working hard trying to keep you upright, your ears pounding from all the noise of the wind and waves and the smells of exhaust coming out right next to you.  Not very pleasant.  Every little movement you make seems to make it all so much worse.  Getting out of bed to put your shoes and jacket on is more than a chore that requires every mental, emotional and physical capability you possess to get through that task.

And the worst part - you don't know when it will end.

All you can think about when you're seasick is how much you don't want to be seasick anymore.  All you can see is the pain you feel and the deepest desire of your heart to make it stop.  You don't want to answer to anyone, you don't want to do anything, say anything or eat anything.  All you want to do is just lay there, close your eyes and hope it ends soon.

It sometimes helps to turn it into a game to see who can win - you or the sea.

At times, all you want is for it all to just come up already.  But standing on the rail with half your body hanging off the side to avoid all that comes from your mouth to go anywhere on yourself or in an unfortunate open porthole beneath your line of fire, isn't a fun experience either.  Things were meant to go down from your mouth to your stomach, not the other way around opposing gravity.

There is nothing anyone around you can do to help either.  Sure, they can give you a glass of water, a towel to clean any leftovers off your face, or a piece of toast to refill your stomach.  But they can't take the pain away.

I know, this is a really good encouragement for anyone who might want to live on a boat...

Again, when you're seasick, everything in life sucks.
Really.

But there is something to always be redeemed with seasickness.

As odd as that might seem.

Eventually, the ship will stop and the rocking will cease or the feeling will pass.  And when that moment comes, life becomes beautiful again.  It really is the best feeling in the world to have gotten passed the seasickness to a point when you simply don't feel sick anymore.  The boat might still be rocking but your stomach has settled, you can breath, you can move, you can laugh, and you can't help but smile.  The simple tasks that took every effort you possess to accomplish seems so easy and you enjoy them so much.  And it's because of one simple realization - you don't feel seasick anymore.

The other day, we were sailing from Malta to Gozo which is a pretty short distance but we took our time and went the long way.  However, it was a Force 6 with strong winds coming from the direction we wanted to go and the swell was quite large.  I got seasick and I didn't like it.  But as I was sitting on the side of the wheelhouse on the leeward side (just in case something came out so it wouldn't blow back at my face or on Tori who was laying on the deck also feeling the same way...) I came to a realization.  I knew there would be a moment when I wasn't sick anymore and it would be a glorious occasion.  I've experienced the greatness that comes from going from being seasick to not.  This day, I realized that it's not just a sailing thing, but a life thing.

I tend to feel seasick often.  (And I'm not just talking about when I'm on a boat in Force 6 seas with very large swell).  There's a lot of days in my life when all I can see is how sick I feel.  The things I once enjoyed don't seem so nice anymore and I can't appreciate them like I once always did.  I don't want to be where I am with who is around me doing what I'm doing.  I just want to go home.  Those are not fun emotions to be having every day.  But when that moment comes when I'm not seasick, I will be able to appreciate this life that God has graciously given me so much more than I could ever have had I not experienced the seasickness.

I'm not going to be seasick forever.  It will pass and when it does, in that moment, life is going to be so good.  I know there will be another sail to come, another storm to pass, another bout of seasickness to make it through, but I'm looking at the right now.

That moment is coming.  I'm tasting glimpses of it more and more each day.
That moment is almost here and I wait for it with anticipation and excitement.