An Old Friend

The days are becoming shorter. Darkness will soon possess its equal share on the way to overtaking light’s duration. I’ll miss the light because with it comes warmth, vibrant growth of all things green and a sense of freedom from the confines of layers to maintain warmth.  I’ll miss my old friend called Summer, but old buddy Time has proven that Summer will return full of new life and new things to discover. This morning, my old friend pain has been absent. Believe me, I haven’t been looking for him, but I have been fondly mystified as to his departure. I don’t recall having changed my routine to account for any insightful conjecture as to pain’s demise. I wonder if it was something I ate; a medication regimen I completed; a response to the workout I had at the gym the day before. Had he not been omnipresent over the last few months, I might not have noticed his abrupt departure. Pain has shown me that old friends can be a mixed bag. Sometimes they are demanding; sometimes they interfere; sometimes they remind you of what living is all about; and sometimes they give the blessing of just being quiet. Trust me, I have no vested interest in keeping him around, but he has befriended me in the sense that he has taught me to take one moment, one step, one action at a time. He reminds me to be thankful in the victory that has been garnered in spite of his presence. Today, thankfulness over his departure overshadows the wonder of his absence. Unlike the summer season, I do not look forward to pain’s return. Instead, I cherish this moment that embraces my being and say “thank you, God.”