Looking for something

I was in a store a couple of weeks ago a that carried inspirational messages plaques, and I wrote this one down because I kind of liked it.

Sorrow looks back,
Worry looks around,
Faith looks up

After some reflection I have decided that I don't much like it.

I am totally fine with the faith looks up part although I think that faith is also forward looking, but the sorrow and worry part are just too pessimistic for me.

As I have progressed down my personal grief journey, I have encountered a lot of bumps in the road. Most significantly, I had to go through the scare of having cancer twice. But when I look back to the days when I was lucky enough to be the stay-at-home mom of three precious children, I feel joy. When I look back at my childhood adventures with my father, I can find no sorrow either. These memories are what sustained me and still do. I know that I am very blessed to have a wonderful family. Although Warren and my Dad died, they are still very much a part of who we are as a family.

However, I have learned to look around. If you are aware of what is happening in your life and the lives of those you love, sure, there will be worries. The trick is to share your worries and that's where the faith part has become increasingly important to me.

The great part is that this inspirational message may be just the thing for someone who is stuck in their own grief journey. Sometimes we get stuck in recriminations and what-ifs to the point where sadness becomes bitterness. That's the time when you have to just move forward, and look-up.