Sometimes they don't.
There are days when we feel blessed to be able breathe deep the sweet smell of spring, to hold the hand of someone we love, and to fall into bed at night with the peace of mind that everything is working out the way that it should.
And then there are the other days…..the ones that are tough to get through. Life feels as though it has become unhinged, a crooked painting that can't be straightened, a dull ache in the pit of our stomachs that keeps us awake at night. The tightening in our hearts make us wonder if things will ever be right again.
When certain pieces of the puzzle don't fit together, we try to squeeze them into place even though we know they'll never fit. If one of the pieces is missing from the box, the puzzle is worthless. Instead of throwing it out, we place it back on the shelf in the hopes that one day the missing piece will appear when we least expect it.
People are like puzzle pieces. Each one has different edges, different colors, and they don't always align to make a unified picture. Their shapes may look similar to one another, fooling us into thinking they're a perfect fit. We push piece after piece into the puzzle until we find the one that fills the empty space.
Once the puzzle is completed, we stand back and admire the picture we've created out of dozens of colorful, cardboard pieces.
But sometimes, the picture doesn't meet our expectations. It's not as vibrant as the photo on the cover of the box, and lacks the depth of the original print it was intended to reflect.
Some people are like this, too. They lack the depth of compassion and the vibrancy of love. Their muted colors dull the image that is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the original print.
A puzzle can never be whole once its pieces are broken or missing. The empty spaces leave the picture incomplete, its odd configuration a reminder of what has been lost. You have a choice; you can search for the missing piece that will complete the puzzle, or you can discard it.
The choice is yours.
