The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them.
How much sorrow can I hold? That’s how much gratitude I can give.
If I carry only grief, I’ll bend toward cynicism and despair.
If I have only gratitude, I’ll become saccharine and won’t develop much compassion for other people’s suffering.
Grief keeps the heart fluid and soft, which helps make compassion possible.
~ Francis Ward Weller
Header Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash
Featured Photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash