The Dance

 

I'm going to tell you a secret. This secret is actually just meant for one person. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's you even if you're not the person I have in mind. That happens sometimes.

The first part of the secret is that we're not here on Earth to be happy. That's not what we came here for. We came here to dance, and sometimes the dance hurts, sometimes you get bumped about and very tired and your feet get blistery. Sometimes you don't get to choose who you dance with, or how you dance with them. Sometimes the dance calls for them to hurt you, and sometimes the dance calls for you to hurt them, and sometimes when you look back on it later, hurting them feels even worse than being hurt.

You don't have much say in any of this, because all of us - even you - already choreographed most of it before we were born. Sometimes we remember each other from the rehearsals, but that recognition doesn't guarantee friendship or even mere love, and even when coupled with the best of intentions it doesn't guarantee we won't hurt each other; all it guarantees is that we're going to do some dancing.

The second part of the secret is that once you really truly understand the first part of the secret, and accept it, and just dance as best you can and thank God for the opportunity, pain and all... well, sometimes it turns out that you get to be happy anyway.