The obelisks represent what it means to come to terms with the full expense of our lives. They inspire the viewer to embrace life on its terms; to accept that strength often comes from discomfort. They ask us to accept that our past pains accumulate in our ability to both shine and see gold. in stages, we accumulate the wisdom to understand that nothing is entirely good nor bad but instead, it is always, simultaneously both. Perhaps, pain and joy are not two ends of a spectrum, but rather the critical forces at work to create something entirely unique and grand.