There are hard, painful, unfair things in life, and there are wonderful, joyous, pure things, and those two realities do not cancel each other out. The joy does not subsume the pain, but – thank God – the hurt does not erase the glory either.
People are the same way. They are good and they are bad, they can help you and they can hurt you – and you can’t regulate that. Instead, you accept with wide-open arms whatever people give you, choose to give you. You don’t try to take from anyone something they can’t or won’t give. You don’t wound yourself with expectations. You just take what’s handed to you and you’re grateful for it. That is the way to be. Continue reading