"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 the 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."
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
A friend sent this to me earlier in the week. It was beautifully timed and so exquisitely apt for both of us. I feel so strongly that life is only interesting because of light and shade co-existing; that in order to feel elation one must also know desperation, that the comfort of warmth is so much sweeter when you have been cold. Whilst this year has felt heavily weighted towards the end of the scales where shadow, shivers and sorrow lie, I also believe that light, warmth and joy are felt that much more keenly because of that.
