Seafarer Explained

About nine years ago, shorly after my son was born, it was apparent that I needed emotional support. Thus, my journey into therapy began. For five years I unraveled myself, determining how I came to be the person I was and slowly releasing the parts that no longer served me. About a year into this discovery process, my wife and I came to a fork in the road that revealed the Seafarer within me. She found my discovery process hard to navigate. I found it difficult, yet oddly comforting. Whereas my wife liked to sit with her emotions and let them percolate, I preferred to let waves wash over me. Sometimes I got carried away by waves and other times I bobbed around in the tumultuous waters, but it seemed the way for me. I distinctly remember the day, about eight years ago, as my wife and I sat on a concrete bench on campus having a teary conversation, when I discovered that I was Seafarer. This was the way I rolled. Thankfully, she has agreed to roll with me.

Fast forward to present day, in a new city with new life challenges, and I still find myself needing emotional support (enter new therapist) and even more help to fight depression (enter medication). Seafarer still reigns. She still fights and fights and fights. Some days she wins. Other days the water takes her for a ride.

It is the persistence of the waves, the never-ending nature of the tides and the roar of the wind across open ocean that keep me here. On a cellular level, my body responds to these forces. Emotionally, I am but a drop of water navigating a vast sea. I find this challenge beautiful.