The Blessing of Mistakes

The Big Lie ... It started with chronic pain ... And the only thing I could take that helped Then pain became an excuse for a couple hours of euphoria That went away, and from then on it was all about survival ... and not being sick The worst physical, mental and emotional sick imaginable Chasing the devil with a smile and a story Until it took so much to NOT be sick that it stopped my heart ... three times. Mistakes ... Mistakes are part of being human But some of us are a bit more ... human, than others There are few mistakes more egregious than those that end in your death Few as stupid and worthless and pitiful But I was given another chance, for what, I'm not sure Perhaps to warn others, or to show them that it IS survivable Maybe to write about it and scare some into sobriety It could be as an example of how much a person can lose Or perhaps, even, to save a life. Answers ... I'm not sure I'll ever have the answer to that But I am a different person, and that new person is someone I like Not because I survived my own stupidity and mistakes But because I have learned through it ALL That within EVERY mistake, no matter how horrid There is growth and transformation and knowledge and blessing I might even say that there are no such things as mistakes, only opportunities If you're willing to open your eyes and heart and learn from them Like most things in life, they happen for a reason And it's up to each of us how we deal with them and respond in turn We are human and we make mistakes - that's unavoidable But being human also means we have the free will and choice To turn those mistakes around, to become enlightened and improved And see them always not as slights, but as opportunities to do so To learn and gain the latitude to laugh and live and love ... As better people. Life is not about overcoming mistakes ... it's about transforming them. ~ 1st Place ~ in the "Overcoming Mistakes" Poetry Contest, Chantelle Anne Cooke, Judge & Sponsor.