To sum up ... PAIN SUCKS!  There is no one who looks forward to pain, no one who gets excited about hurting, yet the vast majority of us survive our pain and move on to our LIFE.  If the pain is an ongoing thing, we endure it and grow from it.  If it threatens our life, we rise to the challenge, which in my mind is defeating it.  We really are amazing creatures! 

A Few Trite Observations

Pain ...

• in time, this, too, shall pass (sooner or later), or at least become less "tender"
• is a catalyst for change;  it's like a fork in the road where decisions, choices are vital 
• is a normal part of the human experience (I can't emphasize this enough!)  It is not abnormal to hurt!  Just don't get too "comfortable" in the pain and accept it as a permanent dwelling place.  I heard someone say once, "If you're going through hell, don't stop!  Keep walking till you see the light of day... and then RUN!"
• running from pain, hiding it, denying it ... are counter productive in the long run.  Find the root source of the pain, whether physical or emotional, and face it ... with help from friends and faith!

Finally, to those of us who have friends and / or loved ones who are in pain ... Sometimes there simply are no right words.  At these times, let caring speak through you - a touch, a card, a distraction, a friendly voice.  Acknowledge pain's presence, but make sure you distinguish between the pain and your friend / loved one.   Pain is not the person, and the person is not pain.  Get it?

If you wish to go deeper into this subject, try C.S Lewis' The Problem of Pain

Moving on ...

~ B