The Pain and The Gain🌻

-

The very first rule of living with nephropathy is simple yet harsh: no painkillers for the rest of my life. At first, that thought felt unbearable, as how could I possibly manage pain without relief? But over time, I’ve learned something essential: pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Pain will always show up, but suffering comes from how we choose to respond to it.

Life has taught me that when the quick fixes are taken away, when you can no longer numb discomfort, you’re left with only one option: to face it. And in that facing, something shifts. Pain stops being an enemy to fight against and becomes a teacher. It teaches you your limits, your strength, and your resilience.

I think of it like living with photosensitive eyes. Brightness overwhelms me, intensity blinds me, and yet over time, my eyes adjust. That sensitivity, though uncomfortable, also allows me to notice things others might miss, like the subtle hues, the quiet details, the richness of the world’s colours. I am not just photosensitive; I am a chromatophile, deeply in love with colours. And that paradox of being sensitive to brightness yet still seeking vibrancy mirrors life itself.

Pain works the same way. It sharpens us, humbles us, sometimes overwhelms us, but it also awakens us to the beauty around us. Without the quick fixes, I’ve had to learn to embrace discomfort and find meaning within it. Life’s struggles, like the harsh brightness, don’t control my story anymore. They are simply shades in the spectrum of my journey, and through them, I see more clearly.

Suffering only lingers when I resist life’s flow, when I cling too tightly to what’s temporary, or when I try to control the uncontrollable. But when I allow life to unfold naturally, with an open heart, even the overwhelming moments start revealing their colours.

In the end, life isn’t about avoiding pain. It’s about walking through it, adjusting to it, and learning to see the beauty in all its shades. And as I continue, I hold onto this truth: even without painkillers, even with sensitivity, life remains colorful, and endlessly beautiful.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Silver Strands at 27🩶

-
💜 I love adding colours to my world be it on a canvas or a sketchbook. But when it comes to my hair, I choose not to colour them. I recently came across an interesting fact: A butterfly cannot see its own wings. Others admire its beauty, but it remains unaware of its own splendour. Similarly, people around me appreciate my clarity, maturity, and perspective on life, yet they struggle to accept my grey hair. Their resistance confuses me every time. Ironically, I am doing PhD on the issues related to ageing populations, and it seems my body took the topic too seriously! Jokes apart, my hair has become an unintentional statement one that I now wear with quiet confidence.  I get constant reminders from people walking on the road to attending conferences and weddings about these silver linings .  The irony? I don’t notice my grey strands unless I look in a mirror. And so, I let them (both people and hair) be, just as I let life unfold naturally and in its own time. Being a  ...
Read more

In His Time, I Grew

-
It’s been 10 years since I began studying economics, nothing more than learning to estimate costs, quantify variables, and evaluate outcomes. But for the past 27 years, I’ve lived as the second daughter of a man whose time, love, and effort can never be measured by any economic modelling or empirical evidence. No formula can capture the cost of his sacrifices as standing under the harsh sun outside my exam centre, gazing at hospital corridors during my checkups, running for college admissions, or waiting alone on an airport bench through the night, just to see me return safely from my first international solo trip. I may not be living a perfectly healthy and wealthy life, but he always makes sure I’m living one worth everything. And every time someone says, “Bilkul papa pe gayi hai”, my heart swells with pride because that’s the best compliment I could ever receive. His timeless efforts have sparked a feeling in me to transform the moment I was born with the words "Firse beti hui ...
Read more