Embracing Pain to Move Forward

One of the aspects I dislike about life most is the pain we have to suffer. If I had any say in it, I would wave a magic wand and all would be well. There would be no pain, no suffering, no loss, no regret.

However, life taught me a long time ago that this wasn’t going to happen; that I had to learn to keep picking myself up and learning to let go of what I couldn’t control–  the people who hurt me, the situations that are still painful (or annoying) to recall, and anything else that keeps me from going forward.

My life has been filled with much loss and some days it can be a challenge (usually when I’m tired) to see the good and remember the reasons I keep going. It’s easy to allow my thoughts to be consumed by trying to understand anything painful or the pain others have caused. Or in missing those in my life who have moved on.

It’s why I spend a lot of my energy on creating, whether it be writing, sewing, or painting. It’s why I go to the driving range and work on my terrible golf game. It’s why I relish in the fact that in several hours my pool will be opened. It’s why I make plans to host dinner parties and do other fun things.

The reality is that we can’t make the past go away, it’s part of who we are. However, what we can do is trust and keep the faith in the future that if we learn what it is that we need to know, that it will shape us for a better life ahead.

After all, it’s part of us. We might as well embrace it and then shut door and move on.