Pain & Beauty

A couple of people I love deeply are in pain. I am a witness to this pain, trying to be there for my peeps. Carrying some of their pain in my heart, on my shoulders. It is heavy and dark.

And close to home, two coping styles make it hard to stand by:

1. When someone is in so much pain that he or she tries to keep it all in, gloss it over, hide it. Or numbs him or herself so that the pain is buried....but still gnawing at them inside.
2. The polar opposite, but just as effective at distracting our eye--someone steps into spiky, sharp-edged, clanky, aggressive metal armor that takes the focus off the pain but does not alleviate it.

If there is anything beautiful about pain, it is that it gives those of us around it the chance to be calm and loving. To be a sliver of light in the darkness. To be kind and true.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Support group.
2. Went to church rummage sale and actually bought an apple @ the bake sale table and actually ate said apple. I can't remember the last time I ate an apple. I stood out in the sun and ate it before getting into my car. [I also bought some oatmeal cookies, and ate those, but after the apple.]
3. Walked Sug around block twice today. Pretty fall leaves on trees and underfoot/underpaw.
4. Fresh spinach and H.'s garden tomatoes with dinner.