They sat together at the campfire in the middle of the forest, the goddess and her daughter. One cried out her pain while the other sat listening in silent compassion.
When her daughter’s tears finally dried, the goddess said, “Let me show you something.”
The daughter knew instinctively to look into the flames. There were images of rape, starvation, war, flooding, murder, and terminal disease.
After a few moments of digesting the images, the daughter faced her mother, humbled and embarrassed for the tears she had shed. In comparison to what she’d just seen, her tears were the indulgence of a weak and superficial brat who’d been denied a coveted bauble.
“I understand. You’re pointing out that, while personally painful, what happened to me pales into insignificance. I feel as if my life has fallen apart but that’s vain, peripheral and totally unimportant in the grand scheme of things,” said the daughter.
“No,” said the goddess. “Your allegorical heart is broken and the pain you feel is very real. The grief you are experiencing will be felt for some time and, as you heal, you will be changed. “
She smiled at her daughter and continued, “Your life has not ‘fallen apart’; your future is merely being rewritten. You thought you would travel in this direction but have learned that you are headed in that. This has happened before and it will happen again.
“The paths of all the people you just saw have been altered by events both similar to and very different from your own. I would just like you to keep in mind that you live. Your body is intact. You have food on your table and a roof over your head. There are people you love who love you in return.
“Experience your pain. Feel your grief. But, as you heal, spare a moment each day to reflect on your blessings and find a way of showing gratitude for them. In this way, as you heal, you will ensure that one of the changes in you will not be the acquisition of bitterness.
“You must grow stronger without toughening. You must grow wiser without becoming jaded. You must allow your heart to heal while expanding its capacity to love.
“Count your blessings twice; your sorrows only once and as you release them.”
