I visited my Dad today, he will be 88 on Sept 25 . He is frail and I dislike that. However it brings me so much joy to hear him remember so many things from when I was growing up, he loves to tell stories of his life and his mind is still very much in tact. He was watching the stock exchange when I got to his home. It’s been a passion of his since he was 20 he said! If it helps keep his mind healthy and bring s him joy I guess why not!!
Joy is to sorrow
what day is to night . . .
there are gifts in both.
It was Divine Grace
that showed me this to be true . . .
otherwise
I would scorn the question
of gladness cohabitating with grief.
Earlier in my life,
I would dwell in a place of anguish
where joy could not get a foothold
But once it happened . . .
once the Grace of joy found me somehow,
without my searching or asking,
or expecting or hoping,
I can now open my heart to it
willingly.
Most times.
This gives me the courage and strength to go on,
melt in the sorrow
but allow myself be lifted up
by the inherent Spirit of life
that is somewhere,
deep inside
all of us.
I used to not think
that I deserved it,
but now I know
that the table is spread,
the bed is made
for me too. ♥
We all deserve a place at the table and a bed, dear Sparrow. Took me awhile to realize this though. My lovely wife Cheryl once, in times past, asked me, “Joe why do feel you do not deserve nice things?’ Thank you for the reminder.
Joseph Campbell’s quote answers today’s question: “Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” I have to choose to live in joy. There is much to be sorrowful about in today’s world but when one visits the Daily Question community, it helps to keep the door open to joy. The wisdom, compassion, vulnerability and willingness of those who man this sight and those who visit daily give me the courage to “be open” to both the light and the darkness of my life. We are called to CHOOSE joy. Thanks to All of You for being my teachers.
I too,
feel that coming to the Daily Question
helps to keep the door open for me too,
dear Carol Ann.
The wisdom in this community
buoys me up
and reminds me
that I am safe
no matter what happens.
I choose joy
because I can’t bear
the other options. ♥
Focus on joy first. Limit one’s exposure to sorrow. I opened my iPad this morning intending to go straight to this site. Instead I meandered and ended up reading very sad news. So I’m coming here full of sadness and with a heavy heart.
But today is a new day, and I have the power to create my day. That in itself is amazing. My big orange cat is sleeping deeply on the sofa, and my tabby and tortie girls are drinking from their water fountain. I’m going to reach out to my niece and nephews about gathering together for my Mom’s upcoming 93rd birthday. I have much to be joyful for. Breathe deeply as I enter this
moment. Sending love, joy and peace to all.
Yes,
dear Mary . . .
news in the world
is sad
and horrifying
and terrible.
I too,
come here
to be among wise and hopeful people . . .
people who seek to spread kindness and healing
in a world
that sometimes seems full of hate.
Thank you for being here. ♥
to remind myself that there is hope
Running out the door for a work trip to Seattle today, then Spokane and Chewelah. I’ll reflect on this as I travel and may come back when I have time to write.
Thank you for the link, Barb. This quote has grabbed hold of me! I so found joy visiting your blog.
“We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world.” Jack Gilbert
I can find joy in the midst of sorrow by making it my intention to look for Joy & acknowledge the joy that is all around me. It is everywhere, I just have to remain open to it.
Having experienced so much sadness & sorrow in a short period of time I was determined to not let the grief take me down. I made it my intention to get beyond the sadness & sorrow. I did not want to live in sadness. Life is for the living. I choose to find joy & happy. Sure, I still have my moments of sadness especially this week as I approach the anniversary of my husband’s passing. It is a painful time for me however, I have chosen to move forward. I want to find joy in my day, in my life. I want to be happy.
Music has been my medicine as well as Mother Nature. I am very blessed.
🕊️❤️
Look at myself… I’m not happy because I’m extremely lonely. However, my joy comes from my gratitude for good physical health. Not everyone has such an ordinary thing like this. Joy is not about what it is, but about how I perceive it.
Very true, my Ngoc. Having physical health is something that often gets overlooked when we put more stalk in the inner world. I may be extroverted but not far off from you when it comes to loneliness. It’s why we have each other. Joy comes in less mischief. That’s getting into trouble. We need friends, not buddies.
Friends are there for us when needed most. Buddies are users. The 2 words give away a feel. The former feels more sincere while the ladder feels pleasurable and goofy, which is silly. A goofball is someone who is silly. A person who loves having buddies is one example. I’m guilty as charge there.
I can feel each one fully. Sorrow: water, submerge, dark, descent, depth. Joy: Sunshine, welcome, buoyancy, breeze. Both e-motions move through, both constantly change and morph. The thing I want to avoid is building a dam for the sorrow to wall it in, or tamping down the brightness of the joy to be “decent.” Those defenses are what get me, versus fully feeling the texture, shape, color, movement of the emotions.
Drea, your answer made me think of Gibran’s take on Joy and Sorrow.
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.
Sorrow and Joy are in relation to each other. We wouldn’t know Joy without Sorrow. Joy would be something else. Both Thich Nhat Hahn and Brother David speak about this being the opportunity. The late Thich shared since they are both impermanent we need, as the quote of the day alluded, to fan the flame of Joy so it lasts longer. This is Br. David’s “Stop, Look and Go”.
“Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom.”
Rumi
Very true, Avril. Seeing how a lot of my answers talked about business ventures and Shaq, that was a mask, especially when grownups cuddle me at gatherings even if Ngoc’s not around for a few seconds. Ok, that’s exagerated, because it’s the ego talking, but the point is clear. Business ventures is closer to black than white magic coping methods. The former is destructive while the ladder is healthy. Often times, those close to us know us better than ourselves. We know our egos best.
If those grown-ups cuddled me today, I’d welcome it with open arms. String-pullers get strings pulled. And beside, where I come from, you’re always a kid to your elders no matter how old you are. It’s a way to build connections, and intimacy is my weakness. The collective system reveals many of that. Independence and intimacy just doesn’t play nicely.
It seems sorrow involves loss so often. Loss can come in many shapes and sizes. At some point, there is usually something to be grateful for partnering with that loss. It so often does not show itself at the onset. Yet, it is there. Perhaps that is what I keep the door open to.🍁
Mary, I’m going through that as my ego is taking a hard hit from business ventures. I had answers and replies on that for almost a year now. At some point, all those personas come back to kill us. I’m reinventing the wheel again. Coming here more often, reading different responses, and commenting certainly helps.
I will practice later on this week. Friday to be exact. My lovely wife Cheryl and I are traveling to my sister Kits husband’s memorial service. A celebration of life for the living, dealing with their own grief. RIP Allen.
Peace, Love & Light.
Your family
is experiencing
a lot of loss lately,
it seems,
dear Joseph,
but it is tempered
by a smattering of joy as well.
Blessings go with you . . . ♥
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I visited my Dad today, he will be 88 on Sept 25 . He is frail and I dislike that. However it brings me so much joy to hear him remember so many things from when I was growing up, he loves to tell stories of his life and his mind is still very much in tact. He was watching the stock exchange when I got to his home. It’s been a passion of his since he was 20 he said! If it helps keep his mind healthy and bring s him joy I guess why not!!
Joy is to sorrow
what day is to night . . .
there are gifts in both.
It was Divine Grace
that showed me this to be true . . .
otherwise
I would scorn the question
of gladness cohabitating with grief.
Earlier in my life,
I would dwell in a place of anguish
where joy could not get a foothold
But once it happened . . .
once the Grace of joy found me somehow,
without my searching or asking,
or expecting or hoping,
I can now open my heart to it
willingly.
Most times.
This gives me the courage and strength to go on,
melt in the sorrow
but allow myself be lifted up
by the inherent Spirit of life
that is somewhere,
deep inside
all of us.
I used to not think
that I deserved it,
but now I know
that the table is spread,
the bed is made
for me too. ♥
Love this
We all deserve a place at the table and a bed, dear Sparrow. Took me awhile to realize this though. My lovely wife Cheryl once, in times past, asked me, “Joe why do feel you do not deserve nice things?’ Thank you for the reminder.
You are worthy of all that is good, dear Sparrow. ☀️
Joseph Campbell’s quote answers today’s question: “Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” I have to choose to live in joy. There is much to be sorrowful about in today’s world but when one visits the Daily Question community, it helps to keep the door open to joy. The wisdom, compassion, vulnerability and willingness of those who man this sight and those who visit daily give me the courage to “be open” to both the light and the darkness of my life. We are called to CHOOSE joy. Thanks to All of You for being my teachers.
Amen to that!
Well said, Carol Ann. And thank you for being who and how you are, and showing up.🍁
Thank you Carol for being one of my teachers too. I am very grateful for this Community.
We are all teachers for one another, especially here at the gratefulness site. I too am grateful, Carol Ann, for the wisdom shared by everyone here.
I too,
feel that coming to the Daily Question
helps to keep the door open for me too,
dear Carol Ann.
The wisdom in this community
buoys me up
and reminds me
that I am safe
no matter what happens.
I choose joy
because I can’t bear
the other options. ♥
Focus on joy first. Limit one’s exposure to sorrow. I opened my iPad this morning intending to go straight to this site. Instead I meandered and ended up reading very sad news. So I’m coming here full of sadness and with a heavy heart.
But today is a new day, and I have the power to create my day. That in itself is amazing. My big orange cat is sleeping deeply on the sofa, and my tabby and tortie girls are drinking from their water fountain. I’m going to reach out to my niece and nephews about gathering together for my Mom’s upcoming 93rd birthday. I have much to be joyful for. Breathe deeply as I enter this
moment. Sending love, joy and peace to all.
Thank you, Mary,.
Yes,
dear Mary . . .
news in the world
is sad
and horrifying
and terrible.
I too,
come here
to be among wise and hopeful people . . .
people who seek to spread kindness and healing
in a world
that sometimes seems full of hate.
Thank you for being here. ♥
to remind myself that there is hope
Thank you, Mary
Running out the door for a work trip to Seattle today, then Spokane and Chewelah. I’ll reflect on this as I travel and may come back when I have time to write.
For the poetry readers among us, a collection I put together of poems on the theme of balancing pain and beauty that seems to fit today’s question: https://biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com/2026/02/a-rose-amidst-thorns-poems-about-beauty.html.
Thank you for the link, Barb. This quote has grabbed hold of me! I so found joy visiting your blog.
“We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world.” Jack Gilbert
Jack Gilbert’s quote
grabbed a hold of me too,
dear Carol Ann . . .
he somehow
makes it ‘okay’
if not mandatory
that we let joy in,
no matter what. ♥
I can find joy in the midst of sorrow by making it my intention to look for Joy & acknowledge the joy that is all around me. It is everywhere, I just have to remain open to it.
Having experienced so much sadness & sorrow in a short period of time I was determined to not let the grief take me down. I made it my intention to get beyond the sadness & sorrow. I did not want to live in sadness. Life is for the living. I choose to find joy & happy. Sure, I still have my moments of sadness especially this week as I approach the anniversary of my husband’s passing. It is a painful time for me however, I have chosen to move forward. I want to find joy in my day, in my life. I want to be happy.
Music has been my medicine as well as Mother Nature. I am very blessed.
🕊️❤️
I love your positivity PKR. Sending you loving kindness always and esp during this difficult week. 💗🤗
🌞💦🌱🌞
You deserve this,
dear PKR . . .
embrace it with all of your heart. ♥
PKR, Wishing you “Blessings always and all ways.”
By not taking the things I do have for granted. I am fortunate in many small ways that add up to make my life great despite my hardships.
Look at myself… I’m not happy because I’m extremely lonely. However, my joy comes from my gratitude for good physical health. Not everyone has such an ordinary thing like this. Joy is not about what it is, but about how I perceive it.
Very true, my Ngoc. Having physical health is something that often gets overlooked when we put more stalk in the inner world. I may be extroverted but not far off from you when it comes to loneliness. It’s why we have each other. Joy comes in less mischief. That’s getting into trouble. We need friends, not buddies.
Friends are there for us when needed most. Buddies are users. The 2 words give away a feel. The former feels more sincere while the ladder feels pleasurable and goofy, which is silly. A goofball is someone who is silly. A person who loves having buddies is one example. I’m guilty as charge there.
I can feel each one fully. Sorrow: water, submerge, dark, descent, depth. Joy: Sunshine, welcome, buoyancy, breeze. Both e-motions move through, both constantly change and morph. The thing I want to avoid is building a dam for the sorrow to wall it in, or tamping down the brightness of the joy to be “decent.” Those defenses are what get me, versus fully feeling the texture, shape, color, movement of the emotions.
Beautiful,
evocative response,
dear Drea . . . ♥
Drea, your answer made me think of Gibran’s take on Joy and Sorrow.
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.
Kahlil Gibran The Prophet pp. 22-23
”The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”
How wise and profound . . . ♥
🙏
I knew you were going to share The Prophet on Joy and Sorrow 🙂 – thank you
Thank you, Carol Ann.
Ooh, this is good. Thank you Carol.
Sorrow and Joy are in relation to each other. We wouldn’t know Joy without Sorrow. Joy would be something else. Both Thich Nhat Hahn and Brother David speak about this being the opportunity. The late Thich shared since they are both impermanent we need, as the quote of the day alluded, to fan the flame of Joy so it lasts longer. This is Br. David’s “Stop, Look and Go”.
“Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom.”
Rumi
Avril, thank you for posting the quote from Rumi. So wise…..🙏🏻❤️
Oddly enough, every grief ritual I’ve participated in has ended in joy and community. Grief and joy seem to travel very closely to one another.
. . . a perfect quote
from Rumi,
whose wisdom speaks to me,
dear Avril . . .
namaste. ♥
Very true, Avril. Seeing how a lot of my answers talked about business ventures and Shaq, that was a mask, especially when grownups cuddle me at gatherings even if Ngoc’s not around for a few seconds. Ok, that’s exagerated, because it’s the ego talking, but the point is clear. Business ventures is closer to black than white magic coping methods. The former is destructive while the ladder is healthy. Often times, those close to us know us better than ourselves. We know our egos best.
If those grown-ups cuddled me today, I’d welcome it with open arms. String-pullers get strings pulled. And beside, where I come from, you’re always a kid to your elders no matter how old you are. It’s a way to build connections, and intimacy is my weakness. The collective system reveals many of that. Independence and intimacy just doesn’t play nicely.
It seems sorrow involves loss so often. Loss can come in many shapes and sizes. At some point, there is usually something to be grateful for partnering with that loss. It so often does not show itself at the onset. Yet, it is there. Perhaps that is what I keep the door open to.🍁
Mary, I’m going through that as my ego is taking a hard hit from business ventures. I had answers and replies on that for almost a year now. At some point, all those personas come back to kill us. I’m reinventing the wheel again. Coming here more often, reading different responses, and commenting certainly helps.
One day at a time. People always comes together during times of sorrow.
Michelle, that montra is perfect for me as I work on finding myself beyond business ventures based on my lengthier answer.
I will practice later on this week. Friday to be exact. My lovely wife Cheryl and I are traveling to my sister Kits husband’s memorial service. A celebration of life for the living, dealing with their own grief. RIP Allen.
Peace, Love & Light.
Sorry for your loss Joseph 🙏
Safe travels, dear Joseph
♥️♥️♥️
I’m so sorry for your loss, Joseph.
Your family
is experiencing
a lot of loss lately,
it seems,
dear Joseph,
but it is tempered
by a smattering of joy as well.
Blessings go with you . . . ♥
Just get out of the house I guess.
Always! Thank you, Louise.
Love your post Louise.
Get off the couch, go outside…😊
Oh, yes. Off of the couch!😂
I can sit in sorrow with a grateful heart. This could open to the joy of wonderful memories and the hope of happier possibilities.