Going with the Flow

Written by Kimberly Hall

Photo by Rock Starr

I like new adventures and experiences. If I go on vacation, I want it to be an unforgettable, thrilling adventure—so when one of my close girlfriends invited me to Jamaica this summer, I wasn’t too excited. After all, I’d been there five times. What would the novelty be in going somewhere I’d been so many times? She’d been invited by a couple she knew to celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary. I wanted to support my friend, and she really wanted me to be there—so I said yes. 

I thought I knew what to expect from a trip to Jamaica, but I wasn’t prepared to meet a vibrant, spunky wife and a visibly frail husband who was battling Stage 4 cancer. At first I felt sad as I saw him walking slowly or being pushed in a wheelchair, but the smile on his face as he looked at his wife quickly filled my heart with joy. My brief sadness turned to admiration. 

With twenty-five of their closest friends and family, this couple was celebrating their love and living life out loud. I admired their strength, their courage, their ability to live life so boldly despite their current circumstances.  At that moment, my perspective changed. I focused on being in the moment, celebrating love and life. As I went with the flow, I no longer wanted to seek out thrills or discover new adventures. I danced, sang, ate, drank, and laughed for five days straight with a group I had just met. Those five days in Jamaica fed my soul with hope, love, and courage. 

It filled my heart with sadness to learn of the husband’s passing this week. I am deeply grateful for the example he set—an example of going with the flow and living with joy, no matter what unexpected direction life takes you.