Can We Know?

by Cheryl Merrick

Can we know triumph

     without first experiencing struggle? 

Accomplishment without expending effort?

Self-confidence without facing challenges?

Courage without standing up to our fears?

Faith without exercising hope?

Love without feeling sorrow?

or Compassion without enduring suffering?

Could we be truly good 

      without refusing the bad?

Have moral strength 

     without developing discipline?

Integrity without living moral principles?

Honor without showing valour?

or Strong character without 

     being tempered by hardships?

Could we be responsible for others

     without first achieving self-mastery?

Obtain fitness without expending effort? 

Learning without dedicated study?

Knowledge without engaging experience?

Competence without amassing errors?

Understanding without first extending tolerance?

or Wisdom without arduous lessons?

Could we achieve Harmony 

     without hours spent communicating?

Peace without overcoming unrest?

Patience without having to wait?

Fulfillment without soul stretching effort?

or Joy without first sensing pain?

Could we be truly happy merely 

with an absence of suffering?

Could we grow without challenge,

or would we wither without Adversity? 

*I wrote this while suffering from dehydration, Altitude Sickness, and Adrenal Exhaustion.