Stranded at Sea? With Whom Dare I Ask....

Now that all my Christmas decorations are retired for this holiday season, I’m giving myself extra permission to indulge in reading. January invites comfort. For me, curling up with a good book is something I especially welcome.

I just finishing reading the book, A Marriage At Sea, by Sophie Elmhurst. You might have heard of it. It is a New York Times Bestseller based on a true story of a young couple from England who become shipwrecked at sea and somehow survive over 117 days alone on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This story of endurance, resilience and fortitude is almost unbelievable, except that it really did happen.

With every turn of every page of this book, you could hear me thinking out loud. “There’s no way I could ever do this.” And then, just to make sure there could be no doubt, I’d repeat, “No way.” I mean, just imagining the survival skills necessary to sustain life for over three months stranded anywhere is just not in my wheelhouse.

Having come to a full realization there’s almost zero chance I could navigate even a day on a raft in the middle of the ocean, I wondered if there was someone I know who had the potential to at least help me survive in that space between zero and chance. Who would I pick to be a great shipwreck partner?

Of course, my first thought went to my husband. However, when I asked him if he thought we might be compatible if stranded in the middle of the ocean on a dinghy with three protein bars and a beer, he immediately choked with laughter. I didn’t take it personally. I tend to think I wouldn’t be so great fishing for survival while navigating the swirl of sharks. Let’s just say we are much better together on land.

And then I thought of my sister. As close as we are, there is not a prayer possible that would make our co-existence on a raft anything short of a disaster. Have you seen those videos of old women who can’t climb out of a boat or get a grip due to laughter? That would be us; completely useless. I’d imagine my sister trying to pass time playing charades or channeling spiritual connection from the swirling sharks.

I thought for a minute I could survive in companionship with my brother. He’s always been quite resourceful in figuring out solutions to challenging problems. But then he’d probably begin to annoy me when he’d spew fun facts about how sharks like to attack those stranded in blow up boats. And then he’d follow up with that annoying brotherlike tease, “Just kidding,” he’d say with a chuckle.

My kids? No way. I finally decided I might have a better chance for survival with my 9-year-old grandson, Daniel, whose overall life-whispering skills could probably talk the shiver of sharks into towing us to the nearest island where ice cream sundaes and shampoo await.

As I finished reading this extraordinary story, I was reminded of the incredible capabilities of the human body and spirit. Perhaps that’s why I love reading so much. At least for a few days, I hung out with a young couple from England as they were forced to pivot from dream vacation to making fish hooks out of safety pins. I was in reverent awe of how they managed to survive such a journey gone astray. Reading their story made me feel emboldened from the comfort of my couch.  As for me, I’m thinking my next book will surely be about climbing Mt. Everest. Hmmmm, I wonder….