Pain, Pain, Go Away

I don’t know why pain is so relative. I can go many days without thinking about homeless people. Or starving nations. Or hurting folks who need a hand.


Then suddenly, you see someone you know in the throws of devastation, and suddenly, everything comes flooding into your thoughts. You look at the world with uncovered eyes. Your ears perk up and you hear what people are truly saying. Your heart breaks with them, and it makes you remember that being a human is a wonderful thing, and how lucky you are.


One thing that writing this blog has shown me is that we all have wounds. Deep wounds. It just happens as a part of life. You have someone betray you at work. You are going to lose a special friend and there’s nothing you can do. Your children make bad decisions and face consequences that you wish just go away. Your eating is out of control and now you need to lose triple digits to get healthy. Sometimes, people, life just sucks, and there’s no way around it.


What do you do when life gives you a wake up call into reality and you have pain?


Somehow, we have to face the pain and turn it into something beautiful. We have to press ahead, even though “up ahead” is pitch black.


The good news is, we should always be a flash light for one another. That’s the saving grace of crappy situations. We can help one another. Whether it’s a well timed word, slipping of money into someone’s hands, or just taking a moment to listen- WE ARE OUR OWN BEST SUPPORT.


That being said, I have a dear friend who decided it was finally time to get on the weight loss wagon. And she is terrified of it. I completely understand, too. I was exactly where she was 9 months ago. This dieting is scary business, and we all know it. We have to refocus our lives, change our priorities, and learn to move from living to eat into eating to live. It’s tough.


Last night, about 1 am, I woke up with a song on my heart. Many of you may not know this, but music is my one real passion. I’m not good enough to take on American Idol or anything, but I can carry a pretty decent tune in my bucket. Anyhoo, this friend was on my heart, and her song came to life within me. I thought I’d share the lyrics tonight, considering I know many of you out there are hurting so much. I think I will let the song speak for itself.


It’s called “The Stone Around My Neck.”


"The road up ahead seems to stretch out for miles
And morale is decidedly low.
I’ve been in this place one too many times
And I’m scared to head where I should go.
I’ve been the token for all that is broken
And I gave up on me a long time ago.
Yet hope springs again though my courage is thin,
Do I dare to just go with this flow?

I’ll just take one little step, get one foot off the ground
Get one foot in front of the other,
Just make one small move that could turn your life around,
One little step. Now take another.


Looking behind the past leads you astray
And tells you that you won’t succeed.
But the past is the past and it cannot outlast
A future you dream you’ll achieve-
Cause I’ve seen the fire that fuels you desire
To blaze into trails so unknown.
Let this conviction conquer all these afflictions.
Tap into the strength that you’ve shown.

Just take one little step, get one foot off the ground
Get one foot in front of the other,
Just make one small move that could turn your life around,
One little step. Now take another.

The pendulum’s swinging between the extremes
Of failure or victory sweet-
You don’t think life’s tipping the scales in your favor-
But it is…if you’ll just move your feet…


Just take one little step, get one foot off the ground
Get one foot in front of the other,
Just make one small move that could turn your life around,
One little step. Now take another."