The only sound I heard was the whispering of the leaves as the sea breeze touched them and the crackling sounds of the waves as they tumbled over. The sea extended endlessly reflecting the smiling azure above it. The crystal clear water was very inviting so I took off my slippers and walked through it. It was cool enough to refresh my tired body and the coarse grain of sand had a soothing effect on my numbed feet. Ohhh… how I loved to be in this quite place, where I could re-charge myself from the pressures of the worldly life and escape from it just for seconds. This was all I wanted to experience, peace of mind and be part of nature for quite some time. I’ve done this several times and let nature be my shock absorb er when I’m troubled.

I continued walking while watching the nature’s beauty to my eyes’ content. I got a glimpse of a corked bottle ahead of me, so I took it hoping there would be a message inside like my favourite novel “Message in the Bottle” by Nicholas Spark where the heroine got a letter from it. Unfortunately, the bottle was empty, as empty as I. I threw the bottle back into the sea. I watched it intently as it glided with the waves and maintained its’ float regardless of the rhythmic hitting of the forceful sea.

From then on I thought about my life and how I went through with this adversity that seemed constant. It’s as if I am battling the waves of life. I nearly gave up when things got worse, and considered myself a loser, just because I failed my parent expectations and did not live up with the other expectations of my family. A loser, because I endeavoured much, sacrificed a lot, yet failed. These things upset me and thought God was so unfair in distributing talents and blessings, especially when my friends prided themselves for the achievements they got. And with these I feel insecure and ended up pitying and hating myself. That was what I call myself: a LOSER, until I observed this bottle floating and came to realize that it’s a perfect metaphor of our life.in our boat of life we are hit by the waves and by the time we recovered, the next one hits. And the only way to survive is to stay on your own feet and keep going like that of the bottle that goes with the flow till it reached its bounded coast. Life’s like that. We’re not sure of our fate, but we are headed along with goals and plans we set up. We commit failures, fall down many times while making our way to where we destines, and it doesn’t matter how many times you’re knocked down for as long as you get up and continue with life. Failure has its bright sides, too. In fact, it is a healthy sign , that we are trying to reach our potentials and make us better individuals.

I may not get a letter from the bottle, but the message I got from it was worth that I missed one half of my life. I know it was GOD’s message, camouflaged through the bottle, to, clear my doubts and fears and make me realize that life’s oceans does not always consist of troubled waters. And when it does, remember the proverb, “a righteous man may fell several times and rise again”