My birthday adventure

Posted by admin in Blog (Weekly), Blogs

Oct
5

It’s my birthday week and I love to celebrate with some kind of fun adventure. A few years ago, I parasailed with my friend, Margie, and it was awesome. Another year, I paraglided over the mountains on Maui, which was breathtaking.

This year I decided to take a four-hour snorkeling trip with SeaFire Snorkeling Adventures to Molokini. It was the best time to go as the tourists are not here and few boats are in the ocean. Molokini is a crater in the middle of the ocean that was formed from a volcano eruption. I swam with the turtles and saw fish in every color of the rainbow. The water was crystal clear blue and the coral was beautiful. It felt like I was in an ocean of Love.

Although I loved the snorkeling adventure, what was most memorable was the kindness and LOVE I received from one of the staff members named, Kelly. She truly was my angel and I knew I was in good hands with Captain Burns. Before we started to snorkel, they instructed us to stay with your buddy. There were several couples on board and I was all by myself, and probably the oldest one on the boat!

Years ago, I didn’t go to a restaurant alone because I was concerned people would think I didn’t have any friends. I certainly have grown and felt quite comfortable being by myself. I was happy to be alone to enjoy the ocean and nature around me.

I hadn’t been snorkeling in several years and rehabbing from a broken shoulder the last 3 ½ months made me nervous as it got closer to jumping into the ocean. What was I thinking? I informed Kelly about my situation and she said, “No problem, I will be your buddy and help you. You can use a noodle.”

I was the last person off the boat. Kelly stayed and helped me get my fins on and get down the ladder safely. The current was a bit strong and she could tell I was scared. She asked, “Would you like to hold onto my board with the rope and I can pull you?” I quickly said, “Yes.”

I stayed with her for quite a while holding tightly to the board and my noodle until I was relaxed and comfortable on my own. She then swam away and I kept her board with me. She kept checking on me making sure I was safe.

When I returned home, I laughed out loud when I thought about what I must have looked like. I was the only one snorkeling with an orange noodle and holding on to the staff’s board. The good news is that I didn’t care what I looked like or what anyone thought of me. That is growth!

This reminds me of how God gives us opportunities to step out in faith and invites us into deep waters and places where we have never been before. Of course, it’s scary at first until we relax and know we are safe and not alone. We are never alone. We are ONE with God.

There were several things I learned from my adventure.

I asked for help.
I didn’t feel ashamed or weak that I needed help.
I knew what I needed to feel safe.
I allowed Kelly to share her love with me.
I didn’t care what I looked like or what others thought of me.
I received the support I needed by being vulnerable and open.
I am never alone and can trust God is always with me.

As I was leaving the boat, I thanked Kelly and told her she was my angel. She smiled and said, “Thank you, I love helping people. Can I hug you?” It was a great way to celebrate my birthday.