The Enlightening 

I could go on and on about the hardships that I had during those three days, but to be honest, it was not all bad. In fact, the experience was somehow enlightening. 

There was a night when my sister and I only had bottled Spanish sardines and leftover rice to eat because we had no way of cooking. We lit a few candles, ate, and talked. If this was a regular night, us having dinner together would not be so special. However, this night was different because we got the chance to relax and bond. 

The Abundance of Life

I must say that the candles also added to the atmosphere. It’s in moments like this that I realized how important it is to slow down and enjoy these everyday things that we easily take for granted. We have become so accustomed to the fast paced lifestyle that in ways we have become less mindful of the pleasures that our life has blessed us with.

Come to think of it, I don’t remember the last time that I took notice of the flavors I was tasting, or savored a movie I was watching. I realized that learning how to slow down and enjoy can add so much beauty in our lives. It reminded me of the abundance of life aroused my curiosity of what’s out in the world to discover.

Counting Your Blessings

That night in particular was also made special by the other realizations that I had. I realized how important it is to count your blessings. Counting my blessings had been valuable in this experience because it made me feel less negative about the situation. It made me less angry and frustrated.

My sister and I could have been seriously hurt by the hurricane. Because of my frustrations with the power outage, I forgot the most important thing which was our safety. Looking at how I had company, a roof over my head, and enough food put me in a place of gratitude. The realization helped me not dwell on the things that I have lost and made me focus on the things that I still have and gained. I know it is easier said than done, but at least trying didn’t add more turbulence in my overly stressed mind.

At first, I didn’t know why I was reminded of the Charles’ Dickinson quote when thinking about my three day experience. But after some thought, I realized that the whole experience can be said about life in general. 

Life is complex. It can be both sad and happy, simultaneously boring and exciting. At the same time, it can be the worst and best time. Life is just much easier and fulfilling if we accept it in its full multifaceted glory. Also, isn’t life more beautiful knowing we have these combinations of experiences that add our life so much meaning? Sometimes life has a way of making us feel more appreciative of our blessings. 

There are times that we need to experience the negatives before seeing the positives. As well as moments where we need to be reminded of the things we could lose in order to appreciate the things that we already have. ‘Tis the balance of life. Accepting life’s duality unlocked something in me that it made me more open to life’s unpredictability. It made me more accepting of life’s challenges. At the same time, life’s unpredictability made me hopeful of the possibilities that life may bring. 

Although I still fail at it from time to time, I try my best to look for the silver linings. In doing so, I am reminded by another quote that says, “Everyday may not be a good day, but there is still always something to be grateful for in everyday.”