Family, Love, Joy, & Sorrow

Inspiration from Kahlil Gibran 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 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.

Why am I here? I started this blog about a year and a half ago.  Experiencing what I call a family tragedy, I went into a pretty deep depression. I isolated and stayed close to home.  Up until a couple years ago I only used the computer for work, tracking my finances, paying my bills, or occasional shopping.  While on the quest to find great recipes and increase my knowledge of plant based cooking, I started to see some interesting blogs with personal stories, poetry, music, and  beautiful photos.

My friend Michele posts a daily photo with some highlights of the day.  My friend Diana shares stories of her children, grandchildren, and her beading adventures. Lisa shares interesting herbal tips and lets us know where the next outdoor market is where we can find her selling her herbs and clothing. Morgaine shares her view of the world with personal stories, poetry, and inspirational words.  I started to see that some used it as a journaling tool. I thought I'd give it a try and I've had some great fun with it. I've found some great recipes, cooking and gardening techniques along the way and even started some great relationships.

One of my main objectives was recording my recipes and experiences in the kitchen.  So many times when I was beginning my plant based journey I had produce I was unfamiliar with or needed information about sugar or flour substitutes.  I went to the internet and just did a search on the ingredients I had on hand and found interesting ideas pretty quickly. As a creative cook, I also don't measure and create meals on the fly.  Sometimes I'd like to recreate the meal I made, but don't remember exactly what I put in it.  Keeping track of my culinary experiences has helped me improve them along the way. This has given even me a place to look up my own recipes and favorite dishes.  I've shared some stories, feelings, music, and lots of food. I hope someone else searching for that interesting vegan meal finds some useful information in my experiences.

I looked back today and read my first blog in January 2010.  My son's ordeal had been going on for a year by then.  He's finally home and life is getting back to it's usual chaos. I do believe I've grown since then.  I am still arguing with anger and fear, but that's a lifetime struggle I imagine. Sometimes easy, sometimes difficult. Now that it's a little more calm and a bit less stressful, I can see that we've all grown.  My husband and I are partners more than ever.  Marty's been home two weeks and up and out of the house early in the a.m. and back in the evening.  He's managed to put in two full days work and make all his necessary appointments and obligations.  He's got work for Monday morning. I am delighting in helping him pack a lunch.  Haven't been able to cook for my son for about two years.  What a pleasure it is now especially after knowing what he ate for the last two years, nothing but processed food, very little fresh. He's not too sure about some of the items I send his way, but he tries them all.  He's even spending a little time talking to us before he descends into the basement apartment.  Yes, I have to share my greenhouse with the original resident for awhile. I've never been more grateful for that.

Reunion day, August 29, 2011.  We headed directly to the nearest beach along the river for breakfast.  Then out to the coast where we caught the sunshine.  It was a great day.

 

What did Rachel say the other day? Rain and Rainbows, yes, they go together.

   Sadness is but a wall between two gardens. ... 

 Kahlil Gibran