Kind of a rough day. But some days are like that. Even in Australia, or so they say.

Maybe Joan has something to perk me up a bit.

“We cannot afford not to fight for growth and understanding, even when it is painful, as it is bound to be.” –May Sarton

Understanding really can be painful can’t it. You can hope and wish and what not, but really understanding the landscape and where you fit into it can be tough stuff. Boo.

“When we grow enough to understand that we are at a dead end, then what? Is it time to be resigned or time to struggle for breath, for new life, with all our might? I always thought that life got quieter, more settled, happier as time went on. But that’s not true. On the contrary. We simply become more aware of what we’ve missed, what we’ve given ourselves to that was not worth the giving.” –Joan Chittister

We always expect quiet and a feeling of being settled. We may even get lulled into sense of complacency and the notion that things are as they should be, but alas– change really is the only constant. And as we grow more, understand more, we once again find ourselves becoming increasingly unsettled and unsure. Is this the right place? Am I truly dedicating myself to something worthwhile?

When the answer is no longer yes, then the fight for new life begins. And what a struggle.

I can appreciate the desire to become resigned, complacent. Sometimes the temptation is so strong, but the quiet is false. And deadly. I’d rather struggle for breath, I think. Push forward for new light. A chance to be re-rooted and to bloom again.

Growth and understanding may be painful, but the most worthwhile things in life usually are, eh?