“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.” ― Victor Hugo
sorrow
Grief Has No Time Frame: Reflections from a Heartfelt Conversation
Listen to my Podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, Episode 112 on your favorite podcasting app or click here for Episode 112
In Episode 112 of “Journey from Grief to Healing,” we delve into a poignant personal experience that transformed my understanding of grief. Twenty years ago, while engrossed in my work at Starbucks, an unexpected visit from my elderly church friend, Nick, led to a profound conversation about loss and sorrow. Nick, mourning the anniversary of his wife Milly’s death, shared his enduring pain and the ongoing connection he felt with her, despite her absence. His raw, heartfelt revelations about grief challenged my initial impatience and taught me that sorrow has no timeline.
Nick’s words and presence illuminated the importance of listening over offering advice, highlighting the value of simply being there for someone in their time of need. His story and the lessons it carried stayed with me, influencing my perspective on the human experience of suffering and healing. This episode reflects on the wisdom found in unexpected places and the transformative power of empathy and presence.
Additionally, we explore the works of poets Edna St. Vincent Millay and Matsuo Basho, who eloquently express the nature of grief and acceptance. Their verses underscore the idea that suffering, like rain, is an intrinsic part of life, shaping us in ways that foster growth and resilience. Join us as we navigate these insights and continue our journey from grief to healing.
Today’s Quote: Life is Lived Forward
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inspiring Quote: Embrace Life’s Rainbows and Raindrops
Everybody wants happiness, and nobody wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain. ~ Zion Lee
Today’s Poem: Give Me Strength ~ A Poem by Rabindranath Tagore
Give Me Strength
Rabindranath Tagore
This is my prayer to thee, my lord—-strike,
strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.
And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.
Inspiring Quote by Shakespeare on Sorrow
Laughing faces do not mean that there is absence of sorrow!
But it means that they have the ability to deal with it
William Shakespeare
Poem for Today ~ To One Who Said Me Nay
To One Who Said Me Nay
Countee Cullen
This much the gods vouchsafe today:
That we two lie in the clover,
Watching the heavens dip and sway,
With galleons sailing over.
This much is granted for an hour:
That we are young and tender,
That I am bee and you are flower,
Honey-mouthed and swaying slender.
This sweet of sweets is ours now:
To wander through the land,
Plucking an apple from its bough
To toss from hand to hand.
No thing is certain, joy nor sorrow,
Except the hour we know it;
Oh, wear my heart today; tomorrow
Who knows where the winds will blow it?
Poem for Today
Island
Langston Hughes
Wave of sorrow,
Do not drown me now:
I see the island
Still ahead somehow.
I see the island
And its sands are fair:
Wave of sorrow,
Take me there.
Inspiring Quote for Today ~ Reasons to Go On
“For each thorn, there’s a rosebud… For each twilight – a dawn… For each trial – the strength to carry on, For each storm cloud – a rainbow… For each shadow – the sun… For each parting – sweet memories when sorrow is done.”
Poem of the Day ~ A Song
A Song
Lucretia Maria Davidson
Life is but a troubled ocean,
Hope a meteor, love a flower
Which blossoms in the morning beam,
And whithers with the evening hour.
Ambition is a dizzy height,
And glory, but a lightning gleam;
Fame is a bubble, dazzling bright,
Which fairest shines in fortune’s beam.
When clouds and darkness veil the skies,
And sorrow’s blast blows loud and chill,
Friendship shall like a rainbow rise,
And softly whisper—peace, be still.