Fate is a capricious beast. It smiles on some while shitting stones on others. Yet, at one time or another we all suffer the 'slings and arrows' and so when those we care about are under fire we know their pain. We remember our own wounds and how we thought we would bleed forever. We also remember how the raw,  gaping hole in our bellies healed with time; became filled with a new joy or the simple fact that life does indeed carry on. Our hearts smile again despite our desperate attempts to keep a grip on the aching inside; the ache that bears witness to the depths of our love and the meaningfulness of our experiences.

We all know these things but these truths hold little comfort for those lost in a merciless here and now. I wish with all of heart to be able to find the right word, the magic phrase that will take the pain away. But I know it doesn't exist. And I know that my words are so easy, so full of shit, because I have been lucky. The damage inflicted on my body and mind was fierce but fleeting, and although it has left a tender spot which will ache for many years to come, my flesh has healed. I am happy.

(The First Flowers by Kelly Humphries)