There’s the idea that suffering is what makes it possible for us to experience joy, much the same way that darkness allows us to notice light. It’s built into our experience of life.
If you’re like me, the thought of having one more thing to do or one more thing to keep track of adds to the overwhelm of a full-enough schedule. And so I’m looking for a gentler way to move toward life as I think it should be lived.
The vulnerability needed in showing love to others requires me to recognize that my worldview isn’t the only one, and it is biased, based on my temperament, education, and life experiences. Yours is, too.
Someone had to make an effort to create that beauty. Someone or someones had a vision for what this Festival of Lights might bring to our little community as well as the rural folks living nearby.
We must interrogate the stories we tell ourselves so that we avoid embarrassing ourselves and hurting others. Though blaming someone else for our troubles is an easier path, it rarely solves the problem, and it keeps us stuck in a cycle of irresponsibility.
