Does Pain Have to Be Ugly?

Dear Henry,

Have you noticed that pain isn't ever represented as something beautiful?

Pain is something that we run away from and hide from. We try, unsuccessfully, to carve it out of our lives, and it is always portrayed as something disfigured, something ugly.

It took the study of water for me to see how incorrect those beliefs are.

Water has always enthralled me. I love to swim, find hidden springs, and photograph water flowing over bluffs. Seeking out beautiful waterfalls and peaceful lakes to contemplate and photograph has helped me through some of the most challenging moments of my life.


That's because water is amazing.

Did you realize that all of the water currently on the earth has been here since the beginning of the earth itself?  And did you know that with the constant cycle of evaporation and rainfall, a single drop of water has, by now, circumnavigated the globe millions of times over the millennia?

Water is a significant component of every living thing on earth, so that same drop of water, in addition to its constant traveling around the world, has also been, at least briefly, many different things.

The continuity and connectivity that water provides to our past, our future, and to one another are staggering and humbling. Looking across a sea and realizing that I am looking at everything (and everyone) who has ever lived as well as everything (and everyone) who will ever live can bring tears to my eyes.

Of course, we don't always exchange our water graciously, and many times, that transfer of water between us and the world takes place in the form of blood, sweat, and tears.

Without the tears of the world, there would be no dew, no springs, and no waterfalls, and that realization has given me so much peace.  It helps me to know that, in some small way, my tears will always be relevant and necessary for the beauty of the world and that comfort cannot be dismissed.

Plus, looking for hidden springs brings me to nature, and there is a universal agreement that walking through the woods and an apple will cure anything that ails you.

I am eternally grateful that there are far more waterfalls than I could ever see, which means that I will always have something beautiful to search for. 

xoxo a.d.


****** *********************************

a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to her travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

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Location: Bella Vista, AR, USA

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