Through the Pain

In my own worst seasons I’ve come back from the colorless world of despair by forcing myself to look hard, for a long time, at a single glorious thing: a flame of a red geranium outside my bedroom window. And then another: my daughter in a yellow dress. And another: the perfect outline of a full, dark sphere behind the crescent moon. Until I learned to be in love with my life again. Like a stroke victim retraining new parts of the brain to grasp lost skills, I have taught myself joy, over and over again. - Barbara Kingsolver

We have both heard often “that as long as you have your health you have everything”. But we have both come to find that that statement isn’t entirely true. Yes, one’s health is extremely important. But we have come to learn through our own personal challenges there is still is so incredibly much to have.

By the world’s standards, both Tom and Michael live with burdens – with chronic pain and a child with disabilities – that many would see as being too much too bear. But both of us do not look at it that way. Instead, like Barbara Kingsolver says:

In (our) worst seasons (we’ve) come back from the colorless world of despair by forcing (ourselves) to look hard, for a long time, at a single glorious thing – moments that help to melt away the pains and the burdens.

From our daily experiences we know that life can be hard and painful. That it brings us challenges that are by any standards difficult to bear. But even in our most trying and dark moments, when the ache of limitations could overwhelm us, there is yet a stronger force pulling us and causing us to embrace that which is glorious~that which is good~that which brings joy~that which causes us "to learn to be in love with (our) lives again".