“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” -Rumi
We all get wounded in many ways. It is part of the experience of life. But in exchange for the the pain we are offered several huge gifts that we can choose to accept or ignore, including: Empathy, compassion, understanding, kindness, strength, patience, persistence, wisdom, and an opportunity to see what we are made of.
Amazingly, even when I chose to ignore the gifts during my darkest hours, they always remained within reach. I’m a slow-learner in the School of Life and sometimes it took many years for me to receive and appreciate the many wonderful gifts that had been laid before me so many years before. But I do eventually learn at least some of the lessons.
While I can’t say that I’ve enjoyed the pain, I’m grateful for all I’ve gained as a result of it.
Russ
Russ Towne's A Grateful Man 
Ok now you’re just trying to make me cry đŸ˜‰ (kidding!) These words of yours and that quote by Rumi are incredible. Reminds of Marianne Williamson saying (in her semi-sarcastic way) about rough times: that when our head’s crack open is when God walks in. Hugs, Gina
Thank you, Gina. When I read: “when our head’s crack open is when God walks in” the phrase that came to my twisted mind to finish the sentence was:
…when our head’s crack open is when God walks in with a big roll of Duct Tape.
Speaking of twisted on a wall in our kitchen is an antique metal sign which reads:
“Town Talk Bread
It’s Twisted”
Naturally we added an “E” to the word “Town”
Russ Towne