The Blessing of Sorrow

“I walked a mile with pleasure;
She chatted all the way,
But left me none the wiser,
For what she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her,
When sorrow walked with me.”
– Robert Browning Hamilton

Modern philosophy tells us to avoid pain and hardship at all costs, and we are happy to oblige.  However, a life devoid of difficulty has no power to transform us into a greater version of ourselves. True confidence comes in overcoming a challenge and standing bravely in face of hardship.  Along with joy, parenthood brings adversity we may otherwise avoid, and with it many opportunities for change and growth. If we can be grateful for these wisdom-producing tribulations, and not just the love and joy our children bring, we can deepen our experience as a parent.  C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

A May Morning, James Thomas Linnell