WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: Time Does Heal

A well-worn metaphor professes that "time heals all wounds". Many agree, but many others simply do not. Their response is often, "wounds that cut so deeply are never truly cured."

I certainly see and feel both points of view.

In the beginning, when we experience the emotional devastation of loss - a loved one, a pet, or deeply held relationship - like a surgical incision, the pain is intense, the wound raw and ugly. Our minds are consumed with the thoughts of how unfortunate we are and how could this have happened to me. Often, if that loss involves a personal relationship, those feelings can morph into anger against whom you perceive as the purveyor of that pain.

But, with time, just as a physical cut on your body becomes less sensitive to the touch, less shocking to the eye, and less taxing on our physical being, the wound to our emotions is also diminished.  

Like a raw scar, the memory of the hurt fades. It does not disappear, but like the wound itself, becomes a less pronounced feature of our being. We are less likely to call attention to it. And, the pain of loss evolves into gentle, fond memories. Instead of crying when thinking of our loss, we now smile with the very thought of their presence. If the hurt involves an interpersonal relationship, the anger, once so intense, has dissipated. The memories fade in a GOOD way. It all becomes manageable and, hopefully, we move forward.

I suppose that, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, time does heal all wounds. But, also like a chronic disease, it does not cure them. We just learn to manage the hurt better and go one with our lives. Because, as stated by another prophetic slogan - failure is not an option.