The Worst of Times
Adapt or Die. Growth is Transcendent. Live. Love. Learn.
"The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone." - Henrik Ibsen
There is a trade-off rarely mentioned in Disney films. A truth often found slightly beyond the raging hormones of adolescence: Love hurts.
It hurts deep. It hurts bad. Lost love is an enduring burn because it doesn't play out the way you would have wanted. Fate can be a fickle mistress. When things were good? They were great! When they are abysmal? That's a whole different story. Have you ever noticed that Disney deliberately fades The Little Mermaid out before her first argument with Prince Charming can hit the screen? Yeah. Movies... am I right? You know how it goes. In that fake, 2D world, they all live "Happily Ever After." In our 3D reality, there IS a "thingamabob" you will struggle to comprehend, and it's called "passive-aggressiveness."
Once the honeymoon phase wears off, those cute smiles and coy winks give way to rolled eyes and defiant glances. Then (months later), when enough is enough, and you're both nearing the expiration date? Someone whips out an intractable statement, feelings are severely damaged, and the writing magically appears on the wall. In time, the perfect insta-couple will split up, you will break down, and you both simultaneously play the roles of victor and victim to your poor friends (while swiping left and right furiously at 2am). This part really, really sucks.
Unfortunately, we aren't finished. What comes next? Lonely nights. A good cry. Solitude. Extended time alone.
It isn't easy going from a duet to a solo, but it is necessary for the trade-off to lock-in. At this point, you may be wondering, "what is this trade-off you keep mentioning, AMAS?" Oh, my bad. The trade-off is personal growth. Inner strength. Wisdom (see Eccl 1:18).
With your love lost, life may seem a bit bland...flavorless, but it's only temporary. I assure you, this is the time for your personal metamorphosis. To gain. To learn. To grow.
"The best thing for being sad...is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then---to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you. Look at what a lot of things there are to learn." - T.H. White, The Once and Future King
Growth is Greater
