Today, my oldest guy is getting his booster shots for kindergarten (please don’t debate on vaccines–I’ve done my research and I feel good about our decision).
He is petrified. He is a fearsome creature by nature, and probably gets that honestly from me. BUT, he is also an enthusiastic learner and knows that he cannot attend school without this rite of passage. He is torn between knowing what he must do and actually doing what he fears.
I also tenderly explained that vaccines prevent long-forgotten diseases from making a comeback in our society. By he and his friends going through temporary pain, they are working together to keep everyone healthy.
This is also true in our relationships, right? We do things that may be painful or opposite of what we desire, because it helps the greater good. We have the tough conversations, we stick out the hard times, we maintain the connection even when times are dry.
We do the hard and scary things because it tests our mettle and proves our courage. The hard bits of life fortify us for the next trial, the very presence of pain pointing to our survival.
What hard things have you done lately because they were good?