There are seasons in life that are numbing, a frozen place filled with uncertainties, a place of displacement, hopelessness, fear, and anger. Life always has a way of bringing to us what we don’t want to deal within ourselves. It’s ironic how what we think we are better off with is what will destroy us, if we don’t know how to deal with it. Sometimes, the Band-Aid keeps us comfortable because no one can see the scars within us. Sadly, scars don’t heal until the Band-Aid is ripped off, until our scars slowly adapt to the environment. Because of our natural fear of disapproval from others, we feel sure of ourselves that we can deal with our pain alone. Most of us believe that sympathy has layers. As a matter of fact, sympathizers will never understand the genuine pain of a sick person. Sympathizers could only imagine what it would be like to be in the exact position. There is no greater pain in life than pain itself.

As humans we are doomed to experience the beauty in life with the inclusion of the most darkest and uncomfortable feeling, a feeling that stirs within us restlessness. The essence of what it means to live is exactly what it means to struggle. To live is to feel even if it hurts, even if it means to cry. Deeply wounded scars take a very long time to heal within; then the skin forms a natural stitch to close the ending of the pain. Some wounds, such as a gun wounds could kill, destroying every fiber of the functional system of the body. If that same gun wound could get taken care of quickly, then there is a possibility that a life could be saved. The same rule applies in a matter of time and dealing with pain.

Sadly, everyday is about survival, survival to live, survival to feel the right way, whatever that means to different people. Some fix it with a prayer, some with an alcohol, some with drugs, some with hate, some with greed, some with acquiring materials and much more. Life is a wave that will always try to drown us with the highs and lows. If we learn how to swim, then we can survive. But sometimes, even if we know how to swim, then we might not make it alive. The measure of damage pain brings to us in life does not require us to be skilled in the coping process. The only thing that could help us is hope, the feeling of there being something more than our problems. Hope only shines bright in the midst of darkness the same way stars shine through the dark skies. This is to say that letting in some light to our darkest places could bring something meaningful. A covered wound does more damage within than an amputated limb. At least an amputated limb preserves the living part to keep us alive. Just like the term, “A broken crayon still colors.”

The fact is we come to this world naked, vulnerable, confused and uncomfortable. As babies, we cried the tears of discomfort as we sensed the pain that being alive would bring to us until we return to our graves. As we assimilate into the society, we slowly learned how to put on an article of clothing. Sometimes lighter, sometime heavier layers depending on how we feel inside, our trust on others or on our protection of ourselves. We can at least say we were once honest with ourselves and to the world when we were born. Honest until we were told to appear as “perfect.” They lied to us!