A friend wrote this and shared it with me a long time ago and I never realized that I would need to hear it as much as I do now...
"It is in the moments after we lose what precious things we hold closest to our hearts that we discover how strong we truly are. These experiences leave us broken, and we are never able to put the pieces back exactly how they were. That's a part of growing up, though. To experience heartbreak and to gain from it. Although the pieces never fit the same way again, new pieces appear. New pieces that add to our character, morality, and strength. Without those additions, we would never mature. We would be incapable of learning. Ultimately, we would be incapable of sharing all of the wondrous sections of moral fiber that make up our individual soul. If you have never experienced a break in spirit, then you have no true sense of what it's like to put it all on the line for something greater than yourself. If you were to play it safe, and avoid all risks, then you have no sense of what it's like to follow your dreams. After all, a dream is usually something that is just beyond your grasp, something you know is out there, but it's just barely unattainable. Every chance you leave untaken is like a missing piece to the puzzle of your soul. No one person ever has the whole puzzle figured out. It is the steps we take to discover the missing pieces that truly showcase our personalities. Some may never go looking for what is missing, while others may literally run from it, but it is those of us strong enough to stick it out and endeavor all of the frustrating nights spent searching for the absent puzzle-piece. It is the person that does not give up that will ultimately end up with just enough pieces to make it work."
