In my humble opinion sadness is one of the most under-rated human emotions. There's nothing like a quiet, deep sadness to get you in touch with the profundity of life -- having a sad year because of the loss of someone you love or because of bad relationships or some painful memory is something that we all experience but rarely appreciate and celebrate. And while sadness inherently isn't something that is fun -- it is a strong emotion and is a heck of a lot better than feeling numb to the world.
It's funny to be writing about sadness on the happy new year-- or at the very least it's ironic. And more importantly, I think it's appropriate given the catastrophy in SE Asia and the grief that is being experienced in a large part of the world. For the survivors, the memory of December 2004 will be very sad.
Well said. Happiness and sadness are sort of like tides of the same ocean. Thoughtful post.
Posted by: Ezra Roizen | February 01, 2005 at 09:17 PM
One of the basic lessons of spiritual growth occurs when you realize that you will never be fulfilled for very long or very deeply by anything in life. Even things you work really hard for, when you get them, are just another moment. There are some tremendous moments of happiness in life, but they pass. There are also tremendous moments of sadness in life, and they too pass. And even while they last, there is always the tension and fear that they might not last too much longer or may last forever. I find that, when I am able and actually have the guts to do so, embrassing the extreme emotions and really feeling them deeply in the moment makes me most alive.
Posted by: Bob Thordarson | February 09, 2005 at 09:27 AM