Pain is a powerful thing. It can turn sweet friendships into hardened hearts, warrior athletes into weeping babies, and lovers into broken pieces. The beautiful thing about pain though is its intensity and its redemptive power. Pain intensifies our sensations and self-awareness in the hurt it brings us; and these moments in our life are what come together to form our true characters. Without pain, we would have no idea how to appreciate pleasure. Also, it’s important to remember that some flowers die with too much sun. We all need rain clouds in our life.
After the race on Saturday I watched the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico, margarita in hand, surrounded by college friends that I love. As the colors of the sky intensified into bold shades of orange and purple, the sun set gently over the waters, leaving an afterglow of waning coloring behind. The serenity that came after such intensity in the sky reminded me that after pain comes joy, pleasure, and peace.
Whether you are healing form an injury, mending a broken relationship, or simply trying to learn to trust others again, allow the pain and hurt you feel to move you to greater things. Know that there will always be a margarita sunset to come.