All the Water in the World CANNOT Sink a 'GOOD' Ship....

My stepfather is, arguably, one of the most intelligent, witty, compassionate, determined, loving, stubborn, stern, fustrating, unyielding and uncompromising people that one could ever hope(or dread) to meet. How he and my mother managed to raise my brother and I in the Castle Hill projects, in the midst of the drug epidemic of the 1980s, simultaneously during the rise of gun violence in our neighborhood, and still keep a sense of normalcy and wonder, is beyond me. I know that most cihlidren believe that their parents are superheros but I honestly think that my mother and stepfather are made with part unicorn magic, part fairy dust, and part ambrosia of the gods of Mt. Olympus. However, I guess that a classical/jazz musician and a bank teller-turned LPN are magical in their own right, without the help of fairy dust...or ambrosia....or unicorns....

I remember clearly that every night, as they would tuck us into bed, with a serenade of gunshots and police sirens, just beyond our window, my father would often say:

"You know, all of the water in the world CANNOT sink a 'GOOD' ship...'"

That nightly mantra was lost on me as a child, partially because I would often drift off to sleep without fully listening to rest of his saying . However, now that I am older, and with little ones of my own, I fully comprehend what he was trying to say to me then. He was trying to prepare me for this moment , in my life, when I would face my greatest adversary of all time--Myself.

There is not one person, on the face of this Earth, that has not had to endure hardships, survive setbacks, and suffer losses while in pursuit of THE dream. You know,. That dream that keeps you up at night. That dream that lights a fire at your very core-- the fire that is shut up in your bones... THAT dream. THE DREAM!

There is not one person, on planet Earth, that has not had a glimpse of what could be possible for themselves, and for their fellow man, only to have their faith tested with the most peculiar set of circumstances and obstacles that they have ever faced. And there is not one person who has not been plagued by bouts of insecurity, self-doubt, self-loathing and perhaps even feelings of worthlessness.

"The 'struggle' is real", as our youth would say. And yet each version of 'the struggle' varies from person to person; circumstance to circumstance. I have been a product of many struggles throughout my lifetime. There have been times when all I could hear were the crushing voices of hopelessness, worthlessness, bitterness and emotional fustration. And those voices merged into one inescapable voice--my own.

However, that is when I began to remember the rest of my step father's message to my little brother and I --A message that was was passed down to him from his mother , many years after she and my grandfather arrived to the United States from Panama, in pursuit of their version of 'THE' dream for them:

" You know, all of the water in the world CANNOT sink a 'GOOD' ship....until it gets on the INSIDE.!"

We may not always be able to control our present circumstances, or even how the people around us will receive (and perceive) us , or dreams and our passions. However, we do yield the power to decide if we are going to allow these (often temporary) circumstances to dictate how we perceive ourselves...and our dreams.

We can either choose to allow the negativity around us to gain full access to the dreams that dwell deep within us. Or we can choose to keep moving victoriously towards the finish line, undaunted and unwavering. Never allowing the negativity to get on the "inside" of us.

In essence, we are all navigators sailing the uncharted waters of our lives. And although we may never fully know what lies ahead for us, let us take a few brief moments to celebrate the fact that we are still here.... WE....ARE.... STILL..... HERE!

We are shaken but not broken. We may be temporarily wounded but we are still alive. We are unyielding, unbreakable, unconquerable and , therefore, we are UNSINKABLE. And unsinkable we shall remain so long as we never allow the "waters" of self-doubt, self-loathing, or self-worthlessness access to the precious cargo (our dreams--THE dream) that we each carry "inside" of ourselves.

For, if left unchecked, these waters have the power to drown out the very essence of who we are.... and who we were meant to be....And THAT is a travesty no true Navigator of Life can ever afford...So keep sailing, mes capitaines. For your next journey could very well be the one that sails you right into your destiny.