The Path

"I'm sorry, but I think this is getting ridiculous," the lesser angel said. "We barely survived that year we took Bowie and Prince, and now you're doing it again (with John Prine, Little Richard, and Florian Schneider). Gratitude and engagement scores are plummeting. The monkeys are LOSING IT." "Duly noted and thank you for your honesty," Saint Peter replied, "although it changes nothing. The way of things has been, is, and will be the way of things. And who are we to deny rest and reward?" "It's a crap process," added the lesser angel glumly. "It is a painful process," Peter corrected, "and I am no fan of heartbreak, but ... " "But?" the lesser angel prodded. "When Tchaikovsky died, Rachmaninoff went into a severe depression and decline. There he stayed, in the deepest of all possible mourning, unable to write a note without the inspiration of his father figure, mentor, and friend for three years until his family intervened. Emerging to write "Trio élégiaque No. 2 in D minor" to honor Tchaikovsky, he effectively wrote the soundtrack for sorrow and facilitated a wave of healing worldwide. I must confess that I've only been able to listen to the work a single time," Peter finished softly. "So we just suffer through it?" the lesser angel whispered, with its head low. "No," Peter said gently but firmly. "We mourn the loss, claim the way it changed us, and step forward. The path ultimately lies open for a reason.”