The Unknown Beloved

by Amy Harmon

What a strange vortex the years suddenly seemed. The jump from ten to twenty-five was a lifetime. The leap from twenty-five to forty was but a long weekend.

“Just because it doesn’t make sense to you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense,”

“Must we try everything to know something is wonderful?” she asked softly. “I don’t think so.”

“The truth is, the harder we are, the easier we shatter. It takes some softness to absorb life’s blows.”

“It is the things we most want to put down, the things that are hardest to carry, to endure, that give our lives the most meaning. Sometimes our burdens are taken from us. And sometimes we walk away from them. Sometimes, not having that burden might even feel good. We might feel relief. But it doesn’t take long to realize that the things we call burdens are most often ballast. Our burdens give weight to everything we do. They shed light on all that we are. And the moment we lose them . . . we lose everything.”