Sorrow

It is that singular aspect of the world that encompasses everyone at one time or another. It is not palpable yet it festers in the darkest of alleys, in the warmest of homes. Every heart is subjected to it, tormented by it and, hopefully, learns to overcome it. That all too human emotion of sorrow is not something one can or should escape.

Grief comes in random often spontaneous forms but it is most associated with the feeling of loss. For a child it could be the loss of a favourite toy or moving away from a friend. Furthermore, as we grow our losses get bigger. Consequently, the sadness is amplified exponentially. Who can doubt that the pain felt at losing a loved one is incomparable?

The amount of sorrow a person experiences varies from one individual to the next. However, there are unfortunate victims in this world so bogged down in mire of grief and torn apart by sadness that they resemble nothing but husks of their former selves. The best-case scenario is that these people will be rescued by a ray of light in the form of hope and happiness. They will learn and they will be thrust back in this world, ready to move on. Others are not so lucky. They are not pulled from the cesspool of sadness and resort to desperate measures. Drugs alleviate the pain momentarily but it returns in full force when they relapse back into grief. At one point suicide, the only exit from their own personal hell.

Sorrow exists in this world as the antithesis of happiness. The balance of emotions is held in check by sorrow. Can you imagine a life without sadness? What a terrifying life it would be! To feel anger, happiness, fear and other emotions without sorrow might seem like an interesting prospect. But happiness and joy are so relentlessly pursued because they alleviate the sadness. Sorrow gives happiness its value. At the end of the day, sorrow and joy are nothing but two sides of the same coin.

One of life's harshest teachers is grief. It doles out its lessons indiscriminately with no notice of the destruction left in its wake. In spite of that, it teaches its pupils valuable lessons. It teaches them of patience, fortitude and most of all it teaches them that they are not alone. There are others to reach out to, help and be helped. The pain is so much easier to bear when there are others to help.

The feeling of sorrow is as sure as the sunrise. It is not something to fear, rather the emotion should be accepted as a facet of all our lives. If we embrace it and endure it we will surely be the stronger for it.