participation

I’m a sucker for Vows, the couple the NY Times features in its wedding announcements. The course of true love runs smooth or it runs into obstacles, but the couple overcomes and joins together in a great and joyful wedding. The happily ever after possibility gets me every time. Which brings me to something in the travel section this Sunday….an article about Japan, about how it’s doing since the tsunami, which was a year ago. Resilience, self possession, and community mindedness are what the writer sees in its comeback after such a blow from nature. You need those for a marriage, too, I’m thinking. And these two ideas, which the writer says the Japanese are able to hold at the same time: Happy moments in life cannot erase losses; nor can losses ever keep one from knowing happiness. I quote: “To see that life means a joyful participation in a world of sorrow, and that suffering is not the same as unhappiness is one of the singular blessings this seasoned country still has to offer.” Maybe that’s why I like to read about vibrant weddings and love overcoming all….

2 responses to “participation”

Connie Buchanan | March 28, 2012 at 9:03 pm | Reply

This blog on happiness in the face of sorrow reminds me of a workshop I attended many years ago. The speaker, a Dr. Pennington, I think, had titled his presentation something like “How to be happy inspite of a perfectly awful situation”. I have tried to take this message to heart and live by it.
Lucy Wiley | March 30, 2012 at 5:06 pm | Reply

Happiness in the face of sorrow? How about scrambling to survive while everything in your universe is conspiring to stomp your DNA out of existence? It could always be worse, of course.