No matter the situation, rather it be mild or severe, petty or unfortunately necessary, my mother’s advice always concluded with a maternal hand on the shoulder and the uttering of the words, “this too shall pass.” For the longest time, I would roll my eyes and think to myself: What in the living hell does that mean? She said it so frequently, I stopped even trying to decipher the deeper message, though it was unknowingly working its way into my life every time circumstances went south.
The past two years of college, living hours from home and on my own for the first time, I’ve experienced all of the same curveballs life enjoyed throwing at me throughout my formative years. Honestly, life and I could win the World Series with those bad boys. Human emotions are simultaneously our most beautiful gift and greatest downfall, bringing about the most treasured of times as well as some of the most troubling dilemmas. Sadness has a way of falling over us with no warning, feeding insecurity feasts fit for kings and reminding us of the people that may have declared us unworthy. Anger rolls in like a storm, its black clouds creeping in until it encompasses every inch of blue sky and instills within us a contempt for all the people or situations that have turned into the deepest disappointments. Regret, remorse, worry, anxiety; they all have a sporadic part in this crazy thing called life.
Sporadic.
It wasn’t until I faced these trials in college, when they were far more real and impactful, that I realized how incredibly relevant this word is when describing the difficulties I have faced, am facing, or will face. It’s so easy to be consumed by the feeling of doom lingering behind every negative emotion that makes a home within our minds. Sometimes, I genuinely believe I will never escape the problem at hand and that it will remain a constant, all-powerful presence. I begin to forget what it was like to not be grappling with the mess around me, trying to squeeze my way into the clear.
Yet every argument I’ve had with a friend, every act of betrayal, every heartache, every embarrassing moment, every time I have utterly crashed and felt like I was burning in the aftermath: it has all passed. It doesn’t matter how intense or how shallow the problem was, or how aggressive my emotions were that followed. Eventually, the sun broke through the clouds and I could either outright laugh at the newly irrelevant issue or see it through a calmer, less agonizing filter.
Suffering is part of the human condition, and it is through these difficulties that we learn the most about ourselves. I'm not saying to smile through them, turn a blind eye or to let everything roll off your shoulders. If there's anything I've learned with age, it's that every emotion, in moderation of course, is essential to approaching life in the fullest way possible. I'm letting you know that when nothing else seems to be coming to your defense, easing the pain or fixing the problem, just remember that time is always and forever moving forward. Whichever struggle invited itself into your life will be on its way out soon enough.
Tough times never last, but you will. So hold on, endure the storm, and smile when you find yourself looking at a clear horizon once again.
