You can’t skip Experience.

You can’t order Patience and have it delivered the next day.

You can’t learn to read and write in five seconds, or just abandon your depression, simply because that would be convenient.

Things take time.

Time takes effort.

And effort grows appreciation.

Getting stuff without working for it removes our capacity for resilience, pride, and creativity.

Easy is just that: easy.

But it lacks the special qualities that hard can teach us.

Life is a spectrum, a scale, a rich tapestry of everything.

Comfort is nice.

Comfort that is earned and deserved is so much more.

Life is hard, and confusing, and complicated.

Life is amazing, sweet, and generous.

Don’t skip any of it.

You’ll be fine.

You’ll see.

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(Photo by @aaronburden, for Unsplash)