No Other Way But Up

I've always believed what a friend told me when I was in college (although I can't quite recall now who said it but the idea stuck). It was about how we carry along when we fall so hard in the darkest, deepest pit we could possibly imagine. I've had my share of discussions along these lines. See, being young, uprooted from the quiet life of the province, and exploring the complexities of independence of college life somehow made me feel like I've been handed out a license to milk all the dramas of life for all its worth.

The friend said that if we really think about it, when we're down at the bottom of the pit we fell into there's really no other way but up. The idea was of course kind of cold if we hear it just when we've recently fallen. It seems cold, harsh even. But if we really look at the logic behind it, it kind of makes sense.

I remember thinking my friend was right. I thought then, if I somehow fell and found myself alive after the experience, no amount of pain or suffering can erase the fact that I survived the fall. I think the survival part is the crucial thing here. If I somehow managed to keep myself alive, breathing, and functioning regardless of the circumstances then perhaps God has a reason for me to have somehow survived the fall.

I've long embraced this belief and I'd say that it has proven to be an anchor in all those stormy days I've been. Perhaps one thing that I've learned to accept as well from previous experiences is that it's important to be fully present inside that pit. Sometimes, it's easy to pretend that I'm in a better place, that I'm nowhere near that dark, cold, and hopeless place. Most times, it's easy for the mind to be elsewhere. But I learned that it's much easier for me to recover when I allow myself to feel every pain. This is critical because it is always when I embrace the moment that I discover that it is not a place I would want to be in for the rest of my life. And I guess that's the time I begin to look up and find the strength to start the climb.

The beauty of falling is that when we hit bottom we couldn't be any lower. And once there, we'd begin to realize that indeed, there's no other way but up.

*(Image from the Internet)