Live to the Max

Early one Spring morning, three unwelcome guests broke through my door unannounced.

One named Death, plus two others named Pain and Yearning.

I was startled and confused. How could they break through the door with such ease?

Wasn’t the door locked and re-enforced?

I was sure my home was fully secure and not at risk for such a horrific invasion.

I screamed at them, “How did you get in here?! You don’t belong here!”

Death replied calmly with a shrug, “Your son let me in. But don’t worry, I’m only here to drop them off,” pointing to the other two who stood directly behind him.

Pain and Yearning peeked around Death’s broad shoulders and chimed in, “Yes, your son invited us to live with you from now on.”

“No!” I shouted back, “Get out! I don’t want you here!”

I ran to the door to shove them out and found that Death had already locked the three of us inside upon his hasty departure.

The door won’t budge, I can’t open it, even when I apply all my strength.

I stand at the door screaming for help and scratching until my fingertips bleed.

I bang and slam my whole body into the door, over and over, hoping to find an escape.

Exhausted, now battered and bruised, I finally resign to what I know to be true, there is no escape.

I’m trapped. It seems I am forever held hostage by my new companions.

I do my best to avoid them, but they follow me everywhere I go. They are unavoidable.

Every room I enter, they are there. They hover over me as I sleep, and greet me each morning when I wake.

Occasionally, a kind soul will call to see how I am doing following Death’s visit, but Pain always answers the phone.

People have stopped calling as much. I think they know they can’t talk directly to me anymore. Pain does all the talking for me now.

One day I begged them, “Please leave! Please!”

Pain responds, “Well, I’m only here because Yearning is here.”

“Fine,” I said, “Yearning, would you please leave and take Pain with you?”

Yearning looked at me with great confusion, “What do you mean? I’ve always lived here.”

“What? No! You came in the door with Death,” I said with a sharp jab of my finger.

“You don’t recognize me? Maybe you’ll know me by my other name…you use to call me Love,” she explained.

“When Death visits, he only brings Pain if Love also lives in the home,” she shared.

I squinted my eyes and examined her more closely, realizing she was an old trustworthy friend. How couldn’t I see it before?

“Ah yes! Love, I know you!” I said with relief, “Will Pain be here forever? Will I always be trapped like this?”

“Yes. Both Pain and I will always be with you from now on. But you’ll learn how to open the door to new guests with time,” she assured me.

She went on, “Others are on their way, like Joy and Peace, but it takes them a very long time to get here. So, you’ll need to learn how to open the door when they arrive.”

I said, “Thank you for staying so close to me Yearning, I need you here. Will you help me?”

“Yes,” smiled Yearning, “We are both here to help you.”

I replied, “Both? Pain, you are here to help me?”

It was then that I noticed something I hadn’t quite noticed before, Pain and Yearning were holding hands, they had been holding hands all along.

Pain looked at me with compassion, “I’m sorry, it’s just…I go everywhere with Love. Where there is Love, there is also Pain. It’s my job, I’m only here because Love lives here.”

I finally understood. I wrapped my arms around Pain, pulling him to my chest in a warm embrace.

Seeing him with new eyes I said, “Welcome. I know I need you here too. I accept that you will live here, as long as Love is here too. So, do your work and when the time is right, let’s open that door together.”