To Understand Happiness You Have to Cry

It takes a thought to make a word
And it takes some words to make an action
It takes some work to make it work
It takes some good to make it hurt
It takes some bad for satisfaction

I believe that it takes some bad to show us the good. This week my great grandma died. She was 98 years old. 98.  She has been in my life for 20 years, and I never realized how fortunate I was. A lot of people don't even meet their grandparents, but I had a great grandma who was an active participate in my life. She traveled to and from Wichita to see me on my birthday, on holidays, and she sent a card for almost every occasion. But until the point where she was no longer here I never realized how truly lucky I was. Isn't that how most things work?
When I was in 7th grade I entered this knock out contest (basketball for those that don't know this timeless game). The first few practice round I got my ass handed to me. I was awful, missed most of my shots and chased my ball down the court. But when all 10 rounds of the real game started I ended up getting 2nd place in the entire tournament (losing to my "boyfriend" at the time). In all sports, you have to lose to understand how good winning really feels.
You have to truly work hard for something to ever understand the value of it, like paying for college. I'm paying for mine and working for my scholarships and having to pay off my loans only makes me want to get the most out of my life now. Knowing that I have to work hard to attend such a great school makes me value and embrace the experience more.
In life we have to struggle, we have to lose, or lose something, we have to cry and fall, and bleed. But we have to do these things so we can experience the happiness, the pleasure, the laughing, the feeling of flying, and the way a band aid really can fix everything. Without the negative, the positive isn't appreciated as much.
Embrace the tears, embrace the smiles. Embrace life.