The Purpose of Pain

Sometimes I just hurt.

The wind gets knocked out of my sails.

Hard and fast.

Sometimes I feel like I will break into

tiny pieces and float away

in the breeze.

But I don’t.

The pain won’t break my heart

or bring me down for long

Just long enough to remind me

It’s still there.

When it visits,

it carves within me a depth

a place that becomes full

of love and empathy

for other humans.

I know I can’t be the only human being

Whose heart troubles them.

There must be a purpose in the pain.

The sunshine complements the rain.

We are not black and white creations

But multi-dimensional amazing energy in motion

Fueled with power like crashing waves of the ocean

We must feel it all, know it all, as we dive into the depths of human experience.

The loneliness, the connection

The celebration, the disappointment

Getting lost, being found

Over and over again

Meeting our Self

As though for the

First time

In a billion different guises

and learning to love all of it.

That may be the purpose of pain.