APRIL 21
We cannot afford to forget any experience, not even the most
painful.
—DAG HAMMARSKJÖLDWhy not?
Think about it. Even to ask such a question throws into
relief how our lives would be impoverished were we to
forget our painful experiences.
There is an old folktale about a group of people, each of
whom was given the chance to throw one trouble into a
central heap in the middle of the room. Then they were in-
vited to choose one from the pile. They each ended up taking
back their own.
I suppose this seems so right to us because we know we
are, each of us, the sum of our experiences, and to negate
any of those experiences, even the most painful—maybe
especially the most painful—is to deny not only what we
have learned from those experiences, but also our very
selves.
I will embrace my life, all of it. If there are changes for the better
that I can make, I will try to make them. Where I cannot, I will
accept that, too. But—even if I could—I will not forget my pain.
I will honor it. It is part of who I am.