"I'm a stovetop, baby. I smile in your face,
but the oven's on high."
Jamila Woods
When I was younger, my Mom surprised me and my brother with a trip to the Bahamas. To understand how big of a deal this was, you have to know how mad I was that my Mom was going on the damn cruise in the first place. For weeks, I sulked around the house and would roll my eyes whenever it came up in conversations.
The morning of the trip, I was pissed that I had to get up early to take her to the airport. If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I was in my teens and being completely unreasonable considering that the cruise was supposed to be my Mom’s honeymoon. Nonetheless, at the crack of dawn that December morning, my God Mom drove us to the airport.
Since it was my first time going to the airport, I had no idea how it worked, so I didn't find it strange when my God Mom drove off with no cell phone to contact her. I was so in my feelings that none of it registered until my Step Dad whipped out a camera and shouted, "You're going on the trip!" I instantly burst into a pool of tears, and like a dumb ass, I found myself asking, "But what about my friends?” When we got on the plane, my brother and I were both terrified yet excited as we rapidly chewed gum `with grins on our faces. That day felt like I had hit the lottery.
When the plane lifted off the ground, I squeezed my eyes shut until I realized that even if we crashed, there was nothing I could do. So instead, I slowly opened my eyes and peered out the window. As the city of Detroit melted away in the background, the plane proudly took its place in the clouds. I couldn’t believe my luck, but little did I know the surprises were just getting started! When we arrived in Florida, the sun was shining and warm despite it being the middle of winter. I remember staring at the palm trees in amazement and wondering if they had similar ones in California.
I can remember the shock and awe at the size of the ship as we boarded the cruise. Pure joy rushed through my body when I saw the cute little towel animals on our beds to greet us. My brother and I jumped on the beds in excitement. Then literally passed out from the adventure of it all. When we woke up, we didn't know if it was the same day or an entirely new one. Later that day, we received waistbands that gave us access to unlimited Shirley Temples, pizza, and ice cream. After discovering the game room, I don't believe I saw my brother for the rest of the trip. Leaving me to spend most of the trip alone or with my parental figures.
Which turned out exceptionally well considering my parental figures aren’t like typical parents. Mom is always the center of attention and has a laugh that can be heard on the other side of the boat. While my Stepdad proudly wore the city of Detroit on him. That weekend, I dressed up to go to dinner, and unlike my brother, I left the boat. It was exciting to explore the island of the Bahamas. To stick my feet in the itchy saltwater and sit on the beach. My Stepdad convinced our tour guide to take us to the hood, while my Mom let me try rum for the first time. She even allowed me to sneak a few miniature bottles on the boat for myself. I remember feeling so grown when I sat back and drank one in bed. But the funniest moment of the trip happened while standing at the bar listening to the piano player.
I felt fancy with my Shirley Temple and Frank Sinatra playing in the background. Then suddenly, a loud crash and rumbling came down the stairs. The music stopped, and we all froze. When this white woman slowly stood to her feet from the floor. As we all registered what had just happened, her presumed husband raced down the stairs to join her. But she was already quickly limping away. We ( the piano player included) waited until the woman left eye sight before we all fell into a fit of laughter. A movie script couldn’t have written that scene any better. That trip was the highlight of my childhood.
And I nearly forgot about it because I was stuck on the bad in my past. What I love the most about this is not the trip but the serendipity of it all. For months, I was so mad that my Mom was going on this trip. I knew that it was because, deep down, I wanted to go myself. But I would never allow myself to say the words out loud. All I could think was: This isn’t fair. Yet, despite all my negative thinking and sulking, my wish still came true. Which feels like a complete contradiction to New Age spirituality. In the New Age community, the belief is our thoughts create our reality. But if that was truly the case, how is it possible that I would be surprised with this trip?
There wasn’t a single positive thought about the trip! Yet, I still had this amazing experience. I believe it’s because of this little thing called fate. A while ago, I was listening to Sway in the Morning. On Thursdays, they have a segment called Good News, where citizens call in to give their praise reports and testimonies. One morning, this man called to talk about how he found a daughter he didn’t even know he had online. Sway asked the caller if he would mind calling the daughter, and together they told their story. As I listened to it and cried my eyes out. What stuck out to me most was the daughter repeatedly saying, “My life was so small.” She spoke about how she was from a small town down south and thought she would live and die there like her Mom.
Now that she knows her Dad, she travels to see him, and together they have plans to travel the world. They both thought their life was "over," and then life surprised them. As co-creators of our reality, we have the life we are living, and then there is our destiny. In my mind, I picture our spirit team like the emotions in "Inside Out ." Each has a particular function. But all of their goals are to help you reach your highest potential. I know you probably don’t believe in co-creation and a spirit team. But how else can you explain my trip or what happened to that Dad and daughter? Or hell, even your life, for that matter! I am sure there is at least one situation in your life where you thought the absolute worst and the exact opposite happened.
There has to be a power greater than us, pulling the strings and carefully guiding us to our goals. I believe the reason why the bible says all you need is the faith of a mustard seed is because God knows that life is hard and that the flesh will get in the way of our faith. But if we could have hope, that things could change for the better. Then maybe things will change for the better. Perhaps a spirit team is too much for you to imagine. But wouldn’t it at least make you feel better knowing you are not alone? That it is not your sole responsibility to create the life of your dreams?
Society tells me it's unreasonable to believe in magic and spiritual beings. They say that magic and superheroes aren't real. But what if it is real- just in a different type of way? What if we really could create the life of our dreams not by actions but by simply making the choice to do so? That weekend cruise taught me that life can surprise you! Perhaps the key to creating your reality isn’t about being positive at all. But in being honest about your emotions.
By allowing yourself to feel your feelings, you send signals to the universe. That, in turn, manifests on Earth as life’s beautiful surprises! So keep feeling, believing, and hoping!
It Will All Eventually Pay Off,