an amazing feeling

"It's a lot to take in. It makes sense that you're feeling overwhelmed."

"But that's the thing. I'm not."

"You're not?"

"I mean, yeah, it's big. It's colossal. But I get it.

I belong right where I am.

That's an amazing feeling."

- from Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

Belong to Me is one of my favorite books. Marisa de los Santos has become one of my favorite authors. She has this lyrical way of writing - she captivates emotions and even if I can't relate to the character, I find that I can relate to exactly how they're feeling. She has a way of relating emotions so simply, yet so poetically.

And these lines from her book hit home today. It's exactly how I feel. Even though I didn't think I'd feel this way considering how things have been ...

Because the thing is, the last couple of weeks have been ... well, full of trials. No pun intended. Thus, in this case, I don't mean court trials. Although there were moments in the last couple of weeks when you can say that I felt I was on trial. I felt as if my faith and hope was being tested. There were moments when I thought that the pounding rainstorm was never going to end ... Let's just say, life has not exactly been full of cake and balloons.

... and thus, there were many moments when I pondered about how to deal?

What I found is that in periods of difficulty we just do. We deal. We live through them. Until they pass. Because they do. In the midst of my many trials I discovered a hidden treasure - and learned - that even in the midst of crying, we can laugh. That in the midst of pain and loss is love. That the core of the most heartbreaking and soul-ripping emotions ... is love. And there's great beauty in that.

And thus, as trying as things have been ... I believe that life is exactly as it should be. And that is an amazing feeling!

*photo by pangalactic gargleblaster