Your Table's Ready

With passengers and crew totaling over 4,000, we were surprised and pleased to find an oasis of calm on board our cruise ship. Like a siren on the ocean, this oasis drew us in,  calling “your table’s ready - what are you waiting for?”

On a daily stroll, we turned the corner, leaving behind a river of people - laughter, motion, music, trays, and footsteps moving in every direction. However, this new deck that should have been crowded with thousands of passengers chasing the same slice of sunshine and sea breeze, was almost empty.

A simple row of patio tables sat quietly under wide umbrellas. Clean surfaces, sturdy chairs, with a scenic ocean view, stretched out like it had nowhere else to be. A welcome place to chill and chat.

It was like stumbling into a conversation in progress and then wondering if it had been waiting for us all along. Something about it made us slow down; it felt like an invitation, as if it decided our table was ready.

Sheri: “I kept thinking how easy it would’ve been to walk right past this. I’ve done that before—so many times. Not because it wasn’t beautiful, but because I assumed it would be full, or reserved for someone else.

Bill: “It’s funny how we’ll stand in line for the ‘important’ things in life, but sometimes the most meaningful invitations sit there with open chairs. It seemed like the perfect spot for a bit of positive reflection … like “what’s next on our horizon?”

And on that quiet stretch of deck, ocean waves holding steady in front of us, it wasn’t just a view anymore. It was perspective.

We didn’t conjure it into anything formal. No notes. No big discussion agenda. We just sat down in rattan chairs under umbrellas like two people finding a place to stop moving for a minute.

And once we settled in, mental reflections started to flow. Like how fast life has felt lately. How many days blur together when you’re not paying attention? How easy it is to get to the end of a week and not remember the time passing.

Then, without trying, the conversation shifted from aft to forward. If this is where we are now, what does the next port look like? If we don’t just drift right into it, what would it look like with a more intentional heading? Where are we sailing?

We didn’t solve world problems that day or sketch out a five-year plan on a napkin - but Bill was soooo tempted! 😊. We did talk about where we were headed. Turns out when you sit still long enough to notice where you are, you start to see the horizon more clearly.

And somehow, an almost empty deck on a cruise ship became a surprisingly good place to sort through where we’ve been, and where we’re headed next. See you at the next port!

Positive Reflections... Likeminded Perspectives

"It’s the minute details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” — John Wooden

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” — Søren Kierkegaard

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” — Annie Dillard

Music Corner... Say It in Song.

As we sat there on that nearly empty deck, it was interesting how certain songs came to mind afterward, not because they were playing, but because something about the moment had a rhythm of its own. The kind that makes you think about where you’ve been, what you’ve been carrying, and where you might be headed next.

Some songs don’t just play in the background of life; they seem to walk with it.

1. “The Times They Are A-Changin’” – Bob Dylan (1964) … A reminder that seasons shift, and awareness matters in how we move with them.

2. “Landslide” – Fleetwood Mac (1975) … A quiet look back at life, growth, and standing at the edge of change with honesty.

3. “Beautiful Day” – U2 (2000) … A forward-facing reminder that even after reflection, there’s still ground under your feet and something ahead worth stepping into.

Sheri & Bill, Storytellers in Word Image and Song

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