I think people are like seashells. Tossed around in the waves of life, thrown onto the shore; picked up, brushed off and it’s on to the next adventure.

Now that next adventure can be many things. We can be tossed back into the waves, struggling to keep our head above the water, falling until we can’t fall any further. We can be held onto, treasured, shown off to others. The waves of life aren’t always easy, yet sometimes it is smooth sailing.

I for one know that if I keep those I treasure most close to me, they’ll not only help me ride the wave, they’ll ride it with me. It’s important to let the people in your life know what they mean to you. More importantly, we must be there for them when they feel like the shells at the bottom of the ocean. When they feel like a kid jumping in the deep end for the first time. When they feel like they’re drowning in life.

The beach is a place where you can learn to wave your worries goodbye. Look at each person in life as a seashell, and look at your group of people as the beach. There to comfort you, help you, support you. We’re not always going to be the treasured seashell, but we’re not always going to be the ones buried in the sand either.

Unlike seashells, we have a say in our next adventure. We decide what to dive into and how to deal with each wave we ride. Sometimes we even get to decide the outcome. And we can always choose to stand up, brush ourselves off, move forward or try again when things don’t go as planned.

As Rachel Platten sings in “Fight Song” .. Like a small boat on the ocean. Sending big waves into motion. Like how a single word can make a heart open. I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion.