⠀ But we can’t beat ourselves up for that

I used to wish that every day would be wonderful, that every morning I would wakeup refreshed and renewed, not a drop of sadness in my blood. I used to hope for perfection, for bliss, for never-ending happiness filling every little crease and cell in my heart.⠀
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But now I don’t.⠀
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Because I’ve learned that a life without sadness isn’t really a life at all. A life without pain, a life without a little trouble, a life without failure and brokenness and learning how hard it is to lose someone or something—without this, we never realize the worth of what we have.⠀
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Without falling down, we never learn to be careful and smart. Without getting our hearts broken, we never learn how beautiful it is to truly fall into love. Without messing up, we never learn the value of success. Without saying goodbye, we never really treasure the people and blessings around us.⠀
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Do I wish a life of pain on anyone? No, of course not. Do I wish to diminish anyone’s suffering? Not in any way. Am I trying to say that someone’s ‘supposed’ to go through certain terrible things to come out stronger? Well, not exactly. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that what they’re going through, or have gone through, is necessary. Because pain sucks, and should never feel necessary.⠀
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But at the same time, it’s the toughest moments that help us value the most wonderful. It’s the trials that bring us eventual triumph. It’s the struggles that show us our true strength.⠀
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Not every day is going to be a good day. Not every morning will our hearts feel full and brightened by sunshine. Not every single moment will we want to smile, be happy, be in love, reach out to others.⠀
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Pain is inevitable. In our relationships. In our work. In our families. In our personal lives. In our choices. In our simplest moments. In our futures.⠀
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But that doesn’t mean we give up hope. We just have to shift our perspective.