I think about the plastic bag from that one Katy Perry song from time to time—tumbling along in the breeze—and I wonder if it ever made it where it hoped to end up. I too empathize with the feeling of never quite getting you’re footing before being swept up again for a bit more razzle dazzle. Just when you think you’ve landed the universe says “Ope, so sorry! Gonna have to redirect you there, sweetie. Strictly for character development, you understand?”
Although it almost sounds like a question, the universe doesn’t wait for an answer before catapulting you from your comfort zone—casually, like an overly polite Midwesterner trying to squeak past you down aisle three.
I can’t think of a time that I’ve ever felt truly grounded. Of course, there have been moments when my feet had a little more traction, but I’ve never felt more than a strong gust of wind away from the next disaster. One summer, When I was nine, my mom drove my brother and me around so long one day that we ran out of gas in front of a random family’s house. We didn’t seem to have a destination, but we were happy to be on this little adventure. At the time, we thought she was just being spontaneous—taking us on a silly adventure. But that family thought differently and called the police.
The police took my mom to a hospital for evaluation, but before they put her in the car, she turned to me and said, “Little Red Riding Hood, don’t let the Big Bad Wolf get you.”
At the time, I probably laughed at how odd and random her words felt. The fact that doctors later deemed her ‘mentally unstable’ doesn’t take away from the fact that there were pearls of wisdom in there somewhere… probably. After all, the wolf did blow those pigs’ houses down, so I guess it would be best not to let him ‘get me.’
Shaky Foundations
My childhood was built on ever-changing foundations. Through circumstances both in and out of my mother’s control, we seemed to find ourselves in a new home regularly. We moved nine or ten times, making me the new kid at no fewer than six different schools throughout my elementary years.
This included a two-year stint in foster care and a very sudden move from Ohio to Maine after my mom’s mental breakdown. We moved there to be closer to my grandmother, hoping she could take some of the weight off my mom by helping with us kids—but I’m not convinced she was much help.
Naturally, change became a given. I learned to adapt to new people and places relatively quickly. Luckily, I managed to be just likeable enough to avoid negative attention or bullying… most of the time.
Looking back, I think my mom, even through the haze of her struggles, was trying to give me what she thought was sound advice. Advice that sounded silly to me then, but now I find meaning and comfort in.
My mother knew all too well the struggles of a life tormented by upheaval. She hoped I wouldn’t find myself on the same tumbleweed of a journey she’d been dealt so far. She was reminding me that staying optimistic through hardships is just as valuable as resilience. I like to think she was trying to say that when life huffs and puffs at your door and inevitably blows your house down, you have a choice: let the wolf “get you” down, or see the ruins as conveniently placed stepping stones toward your forward progress.
The Beauty in the Storm
Storms will be weathered no doubt, but sometimes it’s better for the soul to focus on how beautiful the lightning is, rather than what it’s destroying on its way through.
You need to be blown off course from time to time to gain strength and understanding. Though it may feel like you’ve settled in quicksand for a while, sometimes that nudge from the universe—the seemingly cruel one—is exactly what you didn’t know you needed. At least for this phase, this chapter, this season… whatever you’d like to call it.
The Gift of Presence
The thing about life is, unfortunately, you really don’t know if you’re currently living the last chapters your legacy. There is no way to know if this marriage is the one that makes it to the end, if this is the last first day in a new career, or if this is the last time your teenager lets you hug them longer than 2 seconds without calling it cringe.
With that in mind, I think the best gift you can give yourself is being mindfully present in the current page you are fortunate to be existing in. Take a moment. Look around. Is there anything nearby that gives you even the slightest smile? Focus on that. Really appreciate it. Romanticize your life!
When you genuinely seek the positivity or beauty in the ordinary, you take power away from your negative thinking. Instead of spending time stuck in thoughts like, I’m such a screw-up; I can’t do anything right, you create new memories—like noticing the bluebird that just flew past your kitchen window or the way you poured the perfect amount of creamer into your coffee this morning.”
Letting Go of Overthinking
Most pain that isn’t physical can be attributed to the mind doing what it does best: thinking. We overanalyze the past, replaying what we could have done differently, or we try to predict the future, hoping to control it. But the truth is, no amount of thought can change what’s already happened, and no amount of planning can guarantee an outcome.
The more you focus on navigating each obstacle and experience as they come into your present reality, the less room your mind has to linger on the “would’ves” and “should’ves.” I guess what I’m trying to say is, when the universe knocks you off track, let yourself feel what you need to—but don’t stay too long in the pity party. Keep moving, however slowly that may be. Don’t let it get you! Sitting in it too long only slows down your inevitable growth.
The Journey Matters More
At the end of the day—or the end of moments, really—the most important thing isn’t that you reached your destination untouched. It’s about embracing the wind, as the plastic bag does. Accepting that each unwelcomed gust and shift in direction is adding depth to your character.
You may have an unplanned stop or two, but you’ll end up where you need to be when the timing is right for you. Just dont forget to enjoy the sights along the way!
What a beautiful and poetic way of expressing how we all must be able to embrace the storms of life and learn to accept that change is inevitable so we must embrace it!!! Well said and I love this so much. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for the lovely comment 💚💚
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