Life Finds A Way

Have you seen the very first Jurassic Park movie where Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by the charismatic and hunky Jeff Goldblum, utters the phrase “Life finds a way”? Well, technically he says “Life, uh, finds a way” in the most Jeff Goldblumworthy way but you get the idea. Essentially what he’s referring to is that no matter what happens in life, a species will find a way to survive and evolve even in the harshest conditions. I believe this relates to humans because quite often no matter what life throws our way we can adapt and overcome any obstacle; we are in a constant state of evolution. Look around our everyday world and you’ll see many examples of this theory in progress.

When change happens in our lives that is beyond our control or is inevitable there are a range of emotions we may experience, among those are often surprise, anger, sadness, fear, guilt. Things may seem hopeless for the moment but as time passes we pick ourselves up, put the pieces back together and carry on, in a new or modified way. Change is inevitable.

Another example of life finding a way is right in our own backyard, literally. Here on the east coast it has been a brutal spring and start to summer. We get days on end of fog, rain, mist, cool temperatures yet the seeds, bulbs, grass, and trees all manage to wake up from their winter sleep to brighten our world.

Take a look at the snaps I’ve taken over the last while and you’ll see the world is in a constant state of change, movement, chaos, progression.

Despite your feelings about the monarchy, the royal family mourned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II back in September 2022. We dropped by Government House to pay our respects and sign the book of condolences.

In addition to all the turmoil and upheaval in the world, we are sometimes able to find a little piece of calm and stability. John has been that for me for the last 30 years. In October 2022, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. 25 years!!! It’s cliché, but time really is a blink. We had a celebration at our home in Torbay with family and friends. There was food, drinks, music, laughter, and the opening of our time capsule, which sat undisturbed in our basement for 25 years. You can imagine our excitement as we finally got a chance to “unbox” it! There were so many little treasures we had forgotten all about. There were letters from people who had written them 25 years earlier, expressing what their wishes were for us in the future. There were photos, wedding cards, magazines, and unopened hockey cards, just to name a few. One of the most cherished items was a gift wrapped in tissue paper with a note written on it that said “John and Andrea – Time Capsule”. It was from John’s mom and dad, who are no longer with us. We saved that present to open at a later time when it was just us two. Another item I was particularly interested in was a Sobey’s grocery receipt from Alice Hunt. The receipt was longer than my arm; I know because I measured it. I hope she doesn’t mind me posting the amount, but she paid $360.18 for all that stuff. If those were today’s grocery store prices it’d likely double that amount or more. She had a little note written on the back that said “We loved our guts” and she’s not wrong, but I can safely say there probably isn’t a person in Riverhead and surrounding areas who hasn’t had a meal prepared by Alice.

As I was looking back through all the pictures, trying to find a few to post here, I noticed a common theme: fun, laughter and most importantly, love. It’s bittersweet as well because we see the faces of those who are no longer with us but helped shape who we are today as a couple and family. Along the way we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl who came into our lives and has kept us on our toes ever since. Because she was born 14 weeks premature, Charlotte’s first few months in the NICU were challenging. But life found a way and we are grateful for every minute we get to spend with her.

“Life will not be contained. Life breaks free, expands to new territories and crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously. But life finds a way.”

We all experience change in our daily lives, whether it’s something simple like deciding to go on a daily walk or decluttering the basement, or something profound like the loss of a spouse or loved one moving away. As monumental an adjustment that loss can be, it allows us to grow, change, expand, and find a new way or path forward. In other words, we shall not be contained, life finds a way.

Until Next Time!

Andrea