Growing Pains

A few months ago, one of my sons woke up in the middle of the night. He was crying and rubbing at his ankles and legs, complaining of pain. After checking for any additional symptoms, I determined he had growing pains, gave him some ibuprofen, and sent him back to bed with a hug and kiss.

I love the term "Growing Pains." We all suffer through them, whether physically, emotionally, spiritually...it's a part of life. It can be a five-year-old child waking in the middle of the night, clutching his ankles with tears in his eyes, or an adult waking in the middle of the night, clutching their tear-stained pillow. The good news is that on the other side of the pain, you'll come out a little taller, perhaps a little wiser.

Growing pains are so essential to the characters we create, not necessarily the hurdles that need to be overcome, but those internal struggles, the quietest of battles that determine who they become.

One novel that completely succeeds in this (in my opinion) is Catcher in The Rye. I remember reading it in high school and feeling connected in a way that I never had before.

So let's offer a rousing favorite Princess Bride cheer:

TO THE PAIN!