My life has been a series of pieces, a puzzle of memories intricately bound together. Each piece is significant, but sometimes cannot be understood when viewed alone. As my life rolls forward, the more pieces begin to connect, and the more I begin to understand. Although, even then, I find that pieces that seemed to make sense together really were not meant to connect, and I also find surprising combinations that I never would have expected. My puzzle is far from complete. I know that each day, each moment, I am gaining more and more pieces of experiences, memories, ideas, and feelings. These small fragments of life are what build me, though.
I know we've all had pieces added to our puzzles that are painful, or ones that we regret. Other pieces are beautiful and fall close to our hearts, and we hope to never forget those moments. What one must remember though is that all pieces are important. They are all shaping us, building us, and preparing us for the pieces to come.
I know, in my own puzzle-building experiences, that I've had several pieces that I hated to add at the time. I've been frustrated with some of the mistakes that I've made, and have been unhappy with some of the bad things that have happened, the bad experiences, and the discouraging times in my life when I felt like there would never be an upward turn. For some of these pieces, it's been several years since they've been added, and others, just a couple of months. However, I've recently discovered, that even these pieces are ones that I need to remember. Ones that seemed so bad or sad at the time, are no longer as painful as they used to be. Now, they are just a part of my life's picture. Just like any callus, bruise, or scar, they tell a story of something painful from the past; however, that pain teaches us, and can bring us pride, because we know that we can survive it.
This is the beauty of life's puzzle - the fact that the picture is slowly revealed, more and more, as we keep gaining pieces, and gaining perspective. I know someday, down the road, years from now, that the puzzle picture I see in front of me will most likely be much different than the one I see now. More of my pieces will have come together, and new connections will have been made. I am excited for the pieces that are yet to come, both the good and the bad. They are all equally important in shaping me, and my picture. I'm proud of the picture that I see now. No, not everything has been perfect, but it has been perfectly created for me to teach me what way to go in life. Knowing that this puzzle has been perfectly created for me is comforting, and I will continue to cherish it, even the seemingly insignificant, the terribly sad or maddening, and even the small, and happy. Each piece is so important, and I'm happy to have experienced it all. I hope that you too have enjoyed your puzzle-building, and will experience the joys that I have, and the comfort I have in knowing that each piece is truly unique, and truly perfectly fitted to your life. Experiencing that comfort is 'pieceful' enough. So keep collecting and connecting, and see the masterpiece that you can build! The possibilities are endless.
