Joy through pain.

I have this problem.

Because of my surgical complications, my stomach flares up from time to time. And it's really painful. It's like gas, heartburn, and muscular pain all rolled into one. And what I've discovered is that I usually allow this pain to stop me dead in my tracks.

I dropped out of high school... because of the pain.

I shoved off my first semester of college... because of the pain.

I keep eating... because of the pain.

Notice that I'm not just talking about physical pain here. Everything in life... seems to be to avoid pain. We make comfort into a little god. Because after all, pain is painful. And who LIKES to be uncomfortable? Who likes awkward moments? Or feeling incompetent? Or facing something that was done to you?

We'd all like to pretend that life is a happy May-day dance. But it's not. I'm not trying to be negative or fatalistic. But we deal with pain every single day in multiple different forms and manifestations. I think I've discovered that the key, for me anyway, is not letting the pain define my existence.

Because when that happens, then there's no hope. And when there's no hope... what's the point? Life is about being able to look at the pain, learn from it, but still being able to look at the sunshine and say, "Gosh... that's beautiful."

Oh, by the way, last scale read: ELEVEN POUNDS LOST. WOOO!