When Sorrow brings Joy

“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.”

“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”

These quotes are taken from beautiful poetic essays by Kahlil Gibran. It is from his book called “The Prophet”, a book that I am presently reading.  The book was recommended to me by a friend and I am recommending it to all of you!

When I first read the 2 quotes that I included in here I had to stop and think for a little.

I thought back on some of the times where I have had the greatest sorrows in my life, and sure enough, out of those times, have come some of my greatest joys.

Due to sharing some of my sorrows with another, a friendship was formed, one that  has brought me great joy.

Due to a loved one going through a very difficult time our bond has grown closer, which again has brought sweet joy. I savor the moments more with them now and my ears are better at listening when their heart speaks.

I think of the time that I left a large piece of my heart behind locked doors. I heard the metallic clank as they went shut, there was no part of me that wanted to leave the building but I had to. Within 15 minutes of leaving, my husband and I stopped to meet a friend who had told us to call her before we left and she would be there for us. Her arms were there to catch me as I wanted to fall.

The sweetness of that moment can’t be measured. Knowing she took the time to be there for us in person meant so much. The depth of her love brought a shining light to our sorrow.

I think of another time that my heart was literally breaking. I had shed so many tears and felt so confused. Then within an hour and a half I got online, kind of still in a daze, when I read something that a friend had sent. My eyes got teary again, but this time it was with tears of laughter!  I can still feel the relief that just bubbled out of me by having something to laugh at. That bubble would not have been as great without the sorrow that had come before.

I think of the tender look of love on my husband’s face and how my heart felt the lump in his throat. He squeezed my hand as I laid on a hospital bed not knowing exactly what was wrong. The warmth of his love, though not spoken in words filled my heart with precious joy.

This isn’t some new startling revelation of how sorrow can bring joy, but I believe it is easy for us to forget. No one wants to go through deep sorrow, but sometimes it is good to just spend time reflecting on what joys have come out of our sorrows. Sometimes there are things that may stand out to us more as we look back, compared to before.  Looking back can be a great reminder to all of us at how sorrow and joy really are intertwined.