On joy and sorrow

I'm feeling incredibly sad today but I won't let the bitterness in. A beautiful person has left my life and it hurts a lot. But I think sadness as such is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't feel suffercating. We need the sadness to balance the happiness. Like a tree in winter that sheds its leaves and goes inside itself, quietly, sadly and peacefully, we need time to restore and gather energy sometimes before we can put our energy into growing leaves and touching the outside world again. Kahlil Gibran, who was written my favourite book of all times, "The Prophet", always comforts me with his wise and beautiful words. This is what he says about joy and sorrow.

On Joy & Sorrow

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 hold 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.