In a world of sickness, ailments and victimhood, my lactose intolerant friends are some of the happiest people I know. Not because they don’t have dairy, but because they do! Their eyes go wide and bright at the first mention of a milkshake, the first to say “I’ll drive!” when someone mentions ice cream. Though they lay in bed tossing and turning with aches and pains, regret does not overcome them. They bounce up and beat everyone else to the ice cream truck every damn time. The first to say yes to the thing they “should” say no to. I ask why they keep doing this as they hold their stomachs, grimacing with discomfort. 

“A little bit of a struggle for a whole lot of sweetness.”

It is those people, the ones who continue to find pleasure after pain, comfort in discomfort, who push themselves to and past their limits, that are the happiest in this life. Pain does not overcome pleasure, nor pleasure over pain, they exist within each other. We must decide what has control over us in this sweet life that gives and gives and gives, good and bad. So go on, eat your ice cream and enjoy it too!