Pain and sorrow

Somedays are so tough. Right from the start, we wake up in pain. Physical pain, emotional pain, psychic pain, collective pain, or heartache. And then we go. We go to work, to school, or to run errands carrying our pain with us. Many of us have no choice but to go with our pain.

Yesterday I went to a memorial event to remember the life of a young graduate student who passed away recently. Her parents were there, along with her professors, friends and fellow students. It was so painful to hear the tearful words from those who spoke, especially those words to and from her parents. All the while, pictures of her, full of life and joy, projected from above on to a screen, framing every word. Our hearts crushed when we heard the news of her passing. Our hearts were wrenching as we celebrated her life after her death. It was very difficult to witness her parents' sorrow. There was so much pain in the room. And then we went. Back to work, back to school, back to errands, carrying our pain with us. We had no choice.

Today is a good day to hold on to something that makes us smile, that brings us the smallest kindling of hope, to transcend our pain in small ways by using it to nurture empathy and understanding, to appreciate others, to be thankful for our blessings, grateful for the people and the gifts in our lives. May the pain serve us to overcome the little things, to rise above, to grow, to gain new perspectives, to love more, to love deeper.

Image found on pinterest.com.

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