Joy and Sorrow
Joanie's tribute to her inspiration -- her brother and the chaplain who gently tended to her family as they walked through the grief -- reminded me of the Prophet, and the quote about how joy and sorrow are contained by the same vessel. For this, I am having a Thankful Tuesday. xoxoxo
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Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."
And he answered: 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 than 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.
Copyright @ Kahlil Gibran.
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Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."
And he answered: 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 than 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.
Copyright @ Kahlil Gibran.
Replies
Hmmm Sarah, one of those \"aha\" moments. I do remember being taught that if all you knew was Sorrow - you would not recognize it as Sorrow since you\'ve had no Joy to measure it and by the same token - if all you had ever known was Joy - you would not recognize it, either for the same reason. The Yin and Yang of the world of the psyche so to speak. Because I have known such immense Joy - it is why this well of Sorrow feels so deep within me. In time - I trust that peace and stillness will reconcile the balance once more. This is my hope and prayer for us all.
Love to you sweetie....Suzzanne
Gibran is one of my favorites and my highschool boyfriend, Greg, gave me The Prophet back at Christmas time in 1971. It is one of my favorites and I so appreciate reading about Joy and Sorrow today. Thanks dear Sarah. \"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.\" Such wisdom and deep truth in that sentence. It is a thankful Tuesday... Love and gratitude, Joanie
After I went through such intense suffering, I found joy in the littlest things, things I never even thought about before. I felt a whole new world of joy open up to my eyes. It didn\'t start until after I went through horrendous sorrow though. Thank you for sharing this, Sarah. Love+Hugs, Donna
Thank you for sharing. I have been having trouble with the concept of joy and sorrow. I had such a charmed life before Lisa died. So I have had incredible joy and awful sorrow. To me the joy just makes the loss more painful.
Love and hugs,
Marlene
You keep making me think!
Yes, this I do have to ponder. If the source of your joy is alive, the sorrow you may feel is balanced with the joy. But if the source of your joy is gone...
Soosanah2
... mmmmmm ... oh how i will marinate in THIS journal post ... thank you \'Rah ...
*And is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood that was hollowed with knives?*
thank you xo
thank you for sharing this... yes, life is about balance...I agree, how can you appreciate sweet if not for sour...
MaryLou
Very profound. A read and re read for sure. Thank you. Love Robin
I love Kahlil Gibran! He was \"at\" our wedding 41 years ago ~ we incorporated parts of his passages on Love and Children in our vows.
Thank you for reminding me ~ I will carry this passage on Joy and Sorrow with me for awhile ~ so important to remember.
Love and grateful hugs ~ Debbie
So true, so true....
Sorrow: the loss of a child Joy: grandchildren who keep us alive.
Hugs Penny