amputation
A broken relationship is like a wound.
A deep cut hurts, the ragged edges of the flesh raw and the exposed nerves burning at any touch, no matter how compassionate. As long as it is left untreated, it cannot heal. Ignoring the pain doesn't make it go away, it just allows it to fester and get worse. The longer you wait to heal it, the bigger the scar will become.
You could stitch it back together. With time and care, it will heal. There may be a scar, but the new skin will grow over it, and it will fade with time. If you've waited too long, there may be some stiffness at first, but even if it never quite goes away, it's still whole.
Your other option, to keep it from becoming necrotic and killing off the rest of you, is to amputate and cauterize. This is a very drastic choice, and won't always fix everything. You'll have to get used to functioning without it, because you can't put it back together again. Even if the worst is gone, there may still be phantom aches and pains that won't go away, reminding you of what you lost. This option is a last resort, often with devastating consequences, but there is still hope for recovery and a return to normalcy, in time.
A deep cut hurts, the ragged edges of the flesh raw and the exposed nerves burning at any touch, no matter how compassionate. As long as it is left untreated, it cannot heal. Ignoring the pain doesn't make it go away, it just allows it to fester and get worse. The longer you wait to heal it, the bigger the scar will become.
You could stitch it back together. With time and care, it will heal. There may be a scar, but the new skin will grow over it, and it will fade with time. If you've waited too long, there may be some stiffness at first, but even if it never quite goes away, it's still whole.
Your other option, to keep it from becoming necrotic and killing off the rest of you, is to amputate and cauterize. This is a very drastic choice, and won't always fix everything. You'll have to get used to functioning without it, because you can't put it back together again. Even if the worst is gone, there may still be phantom aches and pains that won't go away, reminding you of what you lost. This option is a last resort, often with devastating consequences, but there is still hope for recovery and a return to normalcy, in time.
You're right, that is a graphic metaphor. Even an amputated limb could grow back by the power of God, but it's still horribly painful and traumatizing.
ReplyDeleteLove you lots, Laura Kate.