Aspects of Being
W e often assume that sharing Joy is the most sacred moment we can experience - that this is when our hearts are closest to others, as well as The Divine. As wholly welcome, blessed, and sought after as it is, I have found that sharing sorrow is as deep and meaningful an experience as any other expression or manifestation of Love.... I have found however that sorrow, confusion, and sadness are not things we are as willingly ready to admit to within ourselves. Whenever we find ourselves in the midst of tribulation, it's easy to forego the realization that there is something decidedly deeper to be gained, so long as we are honest with ourselves through the ordeal. Of course, if we have not practiced this awareness, the trial then becomes twofold in difficulty. For at the time, we feel a crippling sense of failure and unworthiness. Furthermore, as a result of certain teachings, we are often all too willing to embrace the mistaken assumption that we in fact "deserve" whatever befalls us. This sense of shame can be entirely overwhelming in nature. It can also, if unattended, prevent us from receiving or seeking the healing that is available from caring parties around us, whether they be loved ones or "outsiders" who have made this endeavour their life's work. It also appears to be a common occurrence that when we watch others around us suffer, we ourselves can feel helpless and consequently, unworthy. Personal suffering and hurt seem to be unacknowledged aspects in our society, though it is changing. Whenever we find ourselves in the midst of bearing witness to another's tribulations, it's easy to forget that honesty and openness can be infinitely worth more than silence! For it invites another to share what is truly in their hearts, even as it needs sorting.... It makes us one. On this journey, few
of us if any, escape the shadow of pain and the pall that it casts over
our living. And again, in the spirit of sharing and honesty, it is up to
us to remember what pain has felt like in our own hearts. While it is not
practical to remain in the past, there are lessons to be gained from looking
at our own milestones, the rivers we have crossed, and the help that we
sought or were blessed to receive. To share that is but one way that we
can cast a ripple of Love. For in the darkness, all light shines the brighter....
Familiarity ~
Let me know my sorrow |