Lessons from Life: Embracing the Hardships

Daily writing prompt

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

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If life had a settings menu, I’m pretty sure I would’ve clicked “Easy Mode” years ago—probably by accident, thinking it was default. Turns out, those rose-colored glasses I wore for most of my childhood? Yeah, not prescription. More like knockoff lenses from a vending machine, complete with scratches and warped corners.

I used to believe “easy mode” was a real thing. You know, a charmed existence where bills get paid by smiling at the envelope, jobs don’t involve sweat or stress, and relationships come with lifetime warranties. The catch? There is no easy mode. Not unless you count the self-help gurus selling a $49.99 course promising enlightenment in six steps or less. Spoiler: if someone says their life is problem-free, check the fine print. They’re selling you something, and it probably doesn’t come with a refund.

My mother, with her perfectly-timed blunt wisdom, recently reminded me that life doesn’t owe me bunt cakes and buttercream. (Though honestly, if it did, I’d be a lot more forgiving about the paperwork.) I made the mistake of joking that she and I are alike because neither of us has much time for fun. She didn’t laugh. Instead, she hit me with the truth like only a mom can: life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—or about avoiding the storm entirely. It’s about learning to dance in the rain without slipping on your own two left feet.

And here’s the kicker: she’s right. Adulting is hard work, filled with planning, uncertainty, and a pile of “yet to be experienced” challenges that I’m both dreading and weirdly curious about. But that doesn’t mean joy is off the menu. It means joy has to be woven into the in-between moments—the late-night laughter, the impromptu coffee runs, the times you actually let yourself sing off-key in the car without worrying about the person in the next lane.

So no, life isn’t easy mode. But maybe that’s the point. The troublesome parts give the trouble-free moments their shine. The struggle makes the bunt cake taste sweeter—if you actually stop long enough to eat it.

Lesson learned: You don’t unlock fun after the hard parts. You drag it with you, even if it gets a little scuffed along the way.