Life sucks sometimes. This isn't pessimistic, it's realistic. Things that we don’t expect happen rapidly, and we’re suddenly thrown into these rapids of life. Next thing we know, we're tossed, bruised and stunned. At the same time, we are able to strengthen ourselves and our understanding of the world around us because of these painful circumstances.

Recently, I went river tubing for the first time. The experience was amazing and I encourage anyone to go out and try it. When we drove there, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was told it would be like riding in a lazy river at a water park, but that there would be occasional rapids or dips in the river. Before we stepped into the river, my aunt warned me to not get separated and to watch for rocks and tree branches along the way.

Of course, with my luck, my family and I got separated fairly quickly. I stayed with my cousin for a while and went through a small rough patch of water, but didn’t have too much of a problem. As smooth as the beginning was, I grew bored with it. I wanted nothing more than to have an exciting ride in the river.

Be careful what you wish for, because shortly after, while trying to get the entire family together, I got pushed out into the crowd of other people tubing and cut off from the only people I knew there. I grew a little anxious being apart from my family in the unfamiliar river among a flock of strangers. I soon approached a few rapids and became caught in a small circular current. Luckily, a few strangers on the riverbank came and pushed me on my way. From there, my anxiety began to dissipate. I met new and curious people, who openly welcomed me, I went through the rapids as best I could and knew that I could ask for help if needed.

Life is like the river. It changes, it flows, and it has different branching paths that all lead to the same destination. In life, there are smooth patches, where we find ourselves at peace and simply going with the flow, and there are those rough patches, where we can find ourselves panicking, fearing that we will drown. Yes, the rapids of life can be scary, but there are people in our lives that can help you through those times. Things happen, but that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying the experience of life.

If we go through the rapids of life bravely and with love in our hearts, we’ll find that we are better than before. We’ve endured so far, and together we can work through any rapids that come our way. We are all floating on this river together, it’s never too late to reach out and help each other through it.