Thursday, May 22, 2008

"We all must hold the cups of our lives.
As we grow older
and become
more fully aware of the many sorrows of life

- personal failures,
- family conflicts,
- disappointments in work and
- social life,

and the many pains surrounding us
on the national and international scene -

- everything within and around us conspires to make us ignore,
avoid, suppress,
or simply deny those sorrows.

"Look at the sunny side of life and make the best of it,"
we say to ourselves and hear others say to us.
But when we want to drink the cups of our lives,
we need first to hold them,
to fully acknowledge what we are living,
trusting that by not avoiding but befriending our sorrow
we will discover the true joy we are looking for
right in the midst of our sorrows. "

Henri Nouwen