I was ready to be done yesterday.
It’s been an odd year, the biggest highs and lows of my entire life:
I got engaged.
One of my closest friends, who was to be a bridesmaid in my wedding, was murdered. Her funeral was the day that was planned to be my wedding shower that she was hosting with my mom.
One of my dear friends found out her mother has a brain tumor.
My mother is losing her house.
I will be married to the most amazing man in less than a month.
My grandfather loved Kahlil Gibran and I grew up reading pieces of The Prophet. My favorite chapter has always been “On Joy and Sorrow”. This year has been the absolute embodiment of those words, so that is what I’ll leave you with.
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater thar sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
5 Comments
June 27, 2009 at 12:16 pm
wow, what a year (((Ms. M))), soon to be Mrs. ? . Congratulations! I’m sorry to hear of your loses. (((Hugs))))
July 4, 2009 at 12:45 pm
What an amazing way to sum up the year, after the list of joys and sorrows . . . and yes, your grandfather left a legacy for many of us, as did Gibran with that exquisite book of wisdom.
You are an incredible woman, who deserves the amazing man you are marrying. Here’s to a life of joys, sorrows, laughter and tears. If life were always in balance, it would be a flat line . . . at least that’s what we say to comfort ourselves and those we love.
July 26, 2009 at 3:22 pm
You HAVE had quite a year. Thanks for sharing it with us, and congratulations on your wedding!
September 2, 2009 at 4:23 pm
hi,
I’m trying to figure out the bit:
“Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed”
can you please post your insights? I’ve ticked the ‘notify me of follow up comments’, so will know if you replly to my question.
thanks
Xcal
September 8, 2009 at 12:03 am
The way I see in the most basic sense is that in terms of joy and sorrow, you can only feel one to the extent that you have felt the other. While we do often feel both at the same time, one is usually more prominent and while it is taking its turn with you, the other waits – when you are in the midst of great sorrow, your joy is waiting for you and vice versa.