I love walking on the beach and looking for seashells.  When I was younger I always looked for the perfect shell, the one with no holes in it and fully intact.  Now I really admire those that are imperfect, part of the shell has been washed away by the pounding surf or an animal has found its way in to feast on what was inside.  These imperfect shells tell a story of time, challenges, persistent beauty and give it more character.  I feel they are more beautiful than a perfect whole shell!

Notice the seashell in the picture.  Some of it is worn away revealing a smooth, glossy inside with a spiral.  If it weren’t for pounding waves or another animal pecking part of it off we would never see the hidden beauty inside.  The intact outer shell is rough, has some color and protected the creature that was inside for some time.  This shell has been around for a while and probably has drifted to many places.  I wish it could talk to me.

The experience of the shell is like life.  We come into the world innocent and adorable.   As we grow we experience many happy times and challenges.  We get knocked around sometimes and that can change us.  Just like the shell getting tossed around by the waves.  It can make us stronger or leave emotional scars.  Challenges may bring out an inner beauty and strength we didn’t know we had.  It can teach us lessons such as compassion, letting go of the need to be in control or how to nurture yourself.  Challenges can even help you to understand yourself better.

I experienced several challenging years with one of my daughters when she was a teenager.  There were times when I could not relate to her at all or understand her decisions.  I had to learn to let go of wanting to control things, she was making her own decisions and had to accept the consequences.  I learned how to take better care of myself in order to stay healthy and functioning during this time.  This is when I learned meditation.  My husband and I learned how to communicate better and be consistent in a course of action.  Although going through it I felt stressed and over whelmed when all was said and done I felt stronger and had gained new life skills.

The relationship with my daughter improved when she was around 18 – 19.  We have a good relationship now even though we still don’t agree about everything.

Life challenges are inevitable and feel awful when your in the thick of it. However they can also bring out an inner beauty and strength we didn’t know we had just like seeing the inside of the seashell.  If you need assistance with a life issue let’s talk about it.

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Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.