This Too Shall Pass (and hurt again)

The conveniently forgotten other half.

This too shall pass is the party line of hope.

Acceptance of the fact that the most wretched days will eventually come to an end and the light will come back in. That it will be worth it to survive through the pain.

It’s a concept we learn through experience, by surviving until the light indeed comes back in.

As a mother of a teen daughter, it’s a bit heartbreaking to watch her struggle with this lesson first hand…to recognize that thought we’ve all considered at some point: This is unbearable and it’s always going to be this way.

The follow-up lesson is rarely mentioned, but equally important: This too shall hurt again.

Pain is inevitable. No amount of isolation, avoidance or protection can prevent it. To live is to love, and to love is to lose. It’s the yin-yang of life.

But just as love is unavoidably linked to loss, acceptance of this sad reality is surprisingly linked to peace and joy.

How much more do we appreciate each day, each person, each chance to pursue crazy dreams when we embrace the inescapable end?