We go to Disney World and pay $99 for our day pass, because we know all of the rides and characters and excitement are worth it. It's the price of admission.
We go to the movies and pay for our $10 ticket and $5 popcorn, because the previews look good & it's a great way to spend a lazy Sunday. It's the price of admission.
We go to the concert and pay for our $80 tickets because it's one of our favorite bands, and we don't know when we'll get to see them play again. It's the price of admission.
We pay. We experience. We enjoy. We appreciate. We leave. This is what the price of admission offers us.
But what about life? Life has the steepest price of admission of all.
People we love pass away.
Pets that have always been there with a wag and a kiss are no longer there to greet us.
Lives are cut short by tragedy.
We experience pain from heartbreak, love, friendships & careers.
But this pain from loss & life is what allows us to experience all of the incredible things this world has to offer.
We get to experience love.
We get to feel the sun on our body, the sweat on our back & the smile on our face.
We get to celebrate with those around us.
We get to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and a glass of wine after a long day.
We get to experience music.
We get to have families.
We get to witness the unmatched joy of a smile on a child's face.
None of which would be possible without also experiencing the equal and opposite feelings of pain & loss. It is the price we have to pay for participating in the human experience. But that hurt allows us to see, feel & touch the beauty of life. And that beauty makes it all worth it.
We pay. We experience. We enjoy. We appreciate. We leave.
It is the price of admission.