We struggle. We struggle with coming to grips with reality, trying to understand what is happening or why it’s happening. We struggle with battles that absolutely no one knows we’re facing. We struggle with friendships, finding the good in certain situations, and the thought of getting through a full day without having a breakdown -- and that’s okay.
I can honestly say I have reached a season of my life where I have been given the absolute most beautiful reminders that through people, love can change the world, but I have also watched the ugliest parts manifest in ways I never thought I’d have to see, and it’s a struggle.
I try to remind myself daily that it’s okay, but I also try to remind myself that it’s important to love the process and tell myself that it’s a part of life that everyone goes through. I have come to realize that you can let the bad seasons of your life destroy you, or you can let them transform you. I have chosen to let them transform me, and although I could easily give in and surrender to the darkness that comes with the certain times, I choose to see the beauty and renewal that comes with every sunrise. I have chosen to let the sunshine in, and you should, too.
There is no beauty in the struggle -- do not believe anyone who tells you that. There is nothing beautiful about fighting off demons, darkness or depression. There is nothing beautiful about losing parts of yourself, fearing the future just as much as the present, or slowly losing passion for something you love. There is nothing beautiful about living in the shadows, questioning your character, or knowing you have lost what makes you you. It’s not beautiful. The struggle is not beautiful.
I do, however, believe that there is beauty in what comes from the struggle. I believe there is beauty in the day that you will open your curtains and finally let the sunshine in because you are tired of letting whatever you’re facing define you. There is beauty in the thought that one day, you will be able to look back on what you’re going through now and realize that it made you stronger. There is so much beauty in the fact that you have survived past struggles, and you’ll survive future ones. They’re shaping you into who you are -- they are transforming you. One day, you will be able to look back on the ugly parts of your life, and find beauty in little things, in people and in yourself. You will be able find the most good in hindsight -- and that’s perfectly normal.
Let yourself struggle, let yourself feel the pain. Pluto said that "pain restores the soul," and I believe that there’s nothing in the world that can make us appreciate such beauty more than knowing true pain. I only hope that you let the struggle transform you, not destroy you.
