We stood overlooking a part of the island whose history was filled with suffering.
Kalaupapa was the part of Molokai dedicated as a place of exile for people who had contracted leprosy. From 1866 to 1969, victims of this disease were brought here to be separated from the rest of the world that was so afraid of the disease they suffered. So this land holds countless stories of sadness, loss and pain.
Yet, at the same time, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. And on this morning as I watched the sun come up over its coastline, the clouds seem to demonstrate for me how darkness can cover the dawn only temporarily . . . and if we’ve seen it before and know it is there, we can more easily wait for it to emerge again. The entire vista represented what our hearts carry – the sorrow and the joy; the beauty and the agony; the darkness and the light. Grief grows our capacity to hold all that life delivers. It carves out the space we need inside to carry our stories and the stories of our loved ones in all their breadth and depth. If we can hang in there through the pain of loss . . . if we can avoid the urge to distract ourselves from all we feel, we can allow sacred space to be created in us.
Your words here, Janie, feel as though they were written directly to me. Thank you for beginning and continuing this blog. I know that I can't be the only one feeling you with me in my grief. And, as always, I hope you feel me in yours. Much love, Laura
ReplyDeleteJanie, your beautiful words and thoughts in your blog must be such an inspiration to those who are living through similar grief as yours. And you are certainly touching the hearts of others to make them aware of the mountain of grief you face each day. I will surely miss seeing you at our event! Thank you for your blog!!
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