“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby.”

Today I was asked if the need, the ache, and the desire to touch and be touched was a weakness. The argument being that any passion, any ache or need was a hook and a lever. How, could I have such passions, such aches and, such needs and still call myself invincible.

Fair question.

I answered the way I always do:

There is a song by Garth Brooks "Standing outside the fire," it has a line that reminds me that if burning for what you deserve to have is a weakness, then I'll take that and wear it like a badge.

"We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all

They're so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire"

To surrender to the fire is not a weakness and there is nothing we cannot attain, only things we won't fight for. Is there not one thing in your life worth losing everything for?

Today could have been very rough, it was in a lot of ways. For years I have been fighting a fight where I don't get to sit down, I don't get a time-out, and I have no partner to let me rest. I knew today, when I went to look at that journal entry from two years ago, exactly what it would say. October 15th is burned into my mind. Two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend popped up. Finally, I was feeling like an asshole because I was too oversensitive about something.

People can be confusing sometimes, it's no sin, we all do it. Even as empathic and with my ability to read people, I miss things, and surely that is no fault of mine. I am my harshest critic and, frankly, it's insulting to expect the worst from people. Just because other people in your life took the short exit doesn't mean that everyone else will. Sometimes you pick people to share your life who are good people.

There are no shadows without the light and the longer the shadow, the brighter the light. There is no light without fire. I am blessed by the lights that burn with me.

Celebrate the light and the fire.

Curse the darkness and light a flamethrower.

Burn with me.