Elise Verschuure on finding beauty in pain and the magic of everyday escapes

In a personal essay published on Cultura Inquieta, writer Elise Verschuure reflects on the experience of emotional pain and the small, magical places where the world stops hurting. She describes pain as a black hole, a torrent that disorients and isolates, but also acknowledges the survival mechanisms people use: music, hugs, the sea, showers, sleep, walks, skies, clouds, sunsets, train rides, books, wine, and songs. Verschuure emphasizes the right to sadness and anger, and the transformative power of pain. She quotes a dialogue from Isabel Coixet's 2005 film 'The Secret Life of Words' between two characters, one fearing their tears will drown them both, and the other replying 'I will learn to swim, Hannah.' The essay concludes that beauty exists even in tears, songs, embraces, and every sunset.