Joy From Sorrow

Losing someone you love or were fond of is never easy. It is much harder if you never got the chance to say goodbye. Whether it is through an unexpected event in life or just not finding out until later, one can never be prepared.

All too often it touches on the nerves that are connected to other losses. The pains we felt of saying goodbye to someone or something we loved are unearthed. It is like a connection or a bridge to previous encounters of letting someone pass away from life.

Death is never easy no matter how you look at it or frame it. Loving someone or something gives us so much joy in our life. Saying goodbye in death, feels like that joy which has become a part of us was ripped out from our bodies. It often feels like the end of the world after someone has died and that nothing will ever take the pain away.

I've lost far too many people and pets in my life. For a long time, I never allowed myself to grieve for them. Grieving was not easy for me because it involved allowing myself to feel many emotions. Early on in life, I was just shown that I was to move on and not allow myself to feel the emotions. However, I have learned that grieving and allowing these emotions is a necessary part of life. it is what helps us find the joy we shared with what we lost.

At times the process of grief seemed long and as if it would never end. There were times that I did not feel as if I could make it. At times, tears flowed as easily as I took a breath. However, with time, life began to balance out and the pain I experienced in loss, once again became joy for my life.

When the joy emerged from the sorrow, I was able to remember so much of what I shared with the person or the pet. It was almost like I had to travel through the tears to see the beauty.

Each person or pet that we love gives us so much. Through our connection with them, we give much back as well. The beautiful moments of what we shared will stay with us for a lifetime. We will realize one day through the tears, all that we received from those we were closely connected to. Through loving gratitude, we will celebrate so much and the pain will diminish.

We will observe that our life is much stronger, better and more full for having these special connections. There may even be things that will take us time to recognize. Deep down, these connections will share a very important part of our life.

Even though we are not able to talk to these people and pets who have passed on, in the same sense we once could, I believe we can talk to them at any time. I believe they are around us and they hear us. They, of course, remain in our hearts and our minds as we think about them through the eyes of love.


Above image taken from memorial website "When Tomorrow Starts Without Me"


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We Need The Clouds

Sometimes in life, our hearts come upon moments that can be challenging and difficult. We may have lost someone dear to us or just struggling as we hit the speed bumps in life.

While it would be nice to only have days of sunshine in our lives, we do need the clouds and the rain. Imagine what the world would look like without clouds and rain. It is the same in our life. It allows us to compare and contrast feelings, emotions, and experiences. Being able to compare and contrast gives us the opportunity to not only experience sorrow but recognize when happiness is around us. One without the other would leave us unbalanced.

Yes, it can be difficult to deal with the rough moments in life. Sorrow feels draining and never ending at the time we are experiencing it. However, if you look back on those difficult moments in your life, you hopefully will notice that you made it through them. Even though at the time it felt like you were being pulled under, you did make it. You made it through with flying colors.

It does not mean that these times were easy or short in duration. It just means that through your creative wisdom and personal discovery, that you found a way beyond them. Often it is the darkest just before the dawn. So to, is it some times the most difficult before we realize just how much we are growing.

Life sometimes is harder to understand while you're looking at one individual moment. However, if you can widen you viewing angle, you may very likely be surprised at just how it changes. It took very little effort on your part just to see what was happening even in the midst of the difficult moment.

May we have eyes that can never close. May we have a desire to be more than we are today. May we allow ourselves to reach deep within for the energy, the strength and the courage we need in life. And may we give thanks for each and every experience in our lives. For without them, we would not be who we are today.



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