Sadness

SADNESS

Noun

1.

crying - the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

Noun

1.

sorrow - an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

Noun

1.

sadness - emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being

These definitions describe the picture above. The story behind this heart wrenching picture is that the baby, is the niece of the older girl that is carrying her. They are crying because fighting broke out in the village they live in and they were separated from their mother and grandmother. This is a picture of them looking at the bodies that were left after the fight. They were looking for their family. They did find their grandmother 3 days later, but still no sign of the little one's mother. The reunited pictures are of little children happy to be with a familiar face.

I posted this picture because I believe that once sadness touches your life, you are no longer the unadulterated, innocent person you were. Many of us face trials that mold us and usually we are old enough to know the reasoning behind what we go through...but for children to experience such heartache while still so young, is appalling.

I love this picture because it awakens me to the blessings I have in my life!

Well, I added the picture above...entitled, "SADNESS" first and then I realized something!  For every trial there is an opportunity to triumph over that which would bring us down into despair. (and so now I add to this post!)

~HAPPINESS~

  So, now I add this picture of my mom and myself as a tribute to "Happiness."  Looking at this picture you would never know the different heartaches that passed our way.  From the wisdom and genuine sincerity in my mothers smile you would have never known that she got married at 17, moved away from her family at 18, raised 10 healthy children naturally and raised them all in the Church {meaning: daily family prayer, morning and evening, daily family scripture study,  Family Home Evenings, sent out 8 missionaries, married off 10 children in the temple, only to have two return and start life again, teaching right from wrong, standing firm in her standards and never wavering in her faith.} You would never know that she also took in other children that she did not birth, and called them her own.  You would never know that she lost her husband, who was also her best friend, or that she has also lost her father and mother not to mention she only has one sister who lives in a different country and has served 5 missions for the Church.  

You see, my mother stands as beacon to all, that she has overcome despair and sadness.  The beauty she possesses comes not only from her natural attributes but from her 'ability' and 'willingness' to smile in the face of adversity!  Too often, we think of the sadness and wrong and hurtfulness of this life, that we forget that we have the 'ability' to overcome sorrow, if we are 'willing.'  While we all face sorrow and our lives are never the same, we ultimately make the decision of whether or not our lives become better or worse for that experience.  C.S. Lewis once said, "part of the happiness now will be part of the sorrow then, just as part of the sorrow now will be part of the happiness then." How great to know that we are all 'capable' of being happy...no matter the circumstance...the question then, becomes are we willing also to accept the sadness and vice versa.  I love my mom, she is my best friend and I hope to someday make her as proud of me as I am of her!