Life on the Roller Coaster

It's probably totally cliche' but I've always thought that the most accurate description of life was it's like a roller coaster.  Once you're on, you have no control, you are definitely going to ride up and down...extreme highs and deep fast lows.  I personally never liked that chug, chug, chug pull to the top. That climb, it was nerve wracking like the work it takes to reach your goals and dreams in life. Then there is that thrilling, exhilarating swoo-sh-sh down. I always loved that excitement of going over the top. But, quickly you're down, in the valley, in the pit and you have to do the pull up again.

Oh, I absolutely believe that we have great influence on a great deal of our life, whether it will be good or bad.  So much of it though, we have no control over.  We only have control over how we make that ride.  I mean, are you going to undo your safety belt and stand up in the barreling car (like an idiot) or hold on tight and try to ride out, even enjoy the ups and downs?

We would wish, would like, if for every down we got a big up.  Not going to happen. Sometimes it seems that we are riding high and sometimes we feel that we will never get out of the lows. It is never balanced, never fair. And even worse, some folks seems to get a totally undeserved number of lows. I think my point is, if you step onto the roller coaster of life...and, hey we don't have a choice do we? don't ask to be born...you are going to take the ride.  I suppose you could just amble around, hold on to things, hide in the corners. Doesn't seem to me that would be much of a ride.

My oldest and best friend is battling a terrible disease. It is such a horrible experience for her and her family and for we, who love her.  My heart breaks, but would I give up any of the great times we've shared over the years? would I wish that to avoid the pain I had never known her? Of course not.  I have three beautiful daughters and there is never immunity to the ups and downs of their lives. Do I wish that I had never had children? OF COURSE NOT! 

You can't just get off in the middle of the ride.  I have to admit to having no understanding or empathy for those that decide that they are so unique to human existence that they don't have to put up with the hard part. Those people that think they can just check out.  We must cherish, relish every laugh, every wonderful experience, store them up and save them for the sad and bad times. It's the life ride, from the moment that bar clamps down until it releases us, the ride to the end. We have to hang on through all the ups and downs.