Did you know that it’s good to feel sad?
The emotions of sadness are not always a bad thing.
Feeling sad? Down? Gloomy? Melancholy?
Some of us have these days and if they don’t last, then they are not bad.
Disclaimer… if you are really sad, depressed, or suicidal please seek help.
We all have days, when we just feel melancholy, under the weather, sad, miserable, we just want to be left alone, we don’t want to do anything, be around anybody, see anybody.
I had one of those days a couple of weeks ago when I just fell out of sorts.
I stayed in bed, I read a book, I hung out with my cats, and the following day I was fine.
We’re always trying to run away from the bad things that are happening in our lives and run toward the good things. We never just allow ourselves to feel the tapestry of emotions that we have.
We don’t always have to be happy people.
Sometimes it is acceptable and good to be a bit sad.
It allows us a reprieve, the downtime of sorts.
It also gives us perspective as we can see the good things clearly.
We appreciate things easier. It’s the yin to our yang, the day to our night. The up to our down.
It is natural that we have those days of melancholy. And it is normal. And it is perfectly okay to allow yourself to feel that way.
Sometimes we don’t know why we’re sad. We have no answer.
We just feel off like something is missing or not right or not connecting or clicking.
And there are times when we really don’t need the answers. We just need to feel it, be with it, and embrace it.
The woman in the window
There is an elderly woman who sits in her rocking chair looking out the window every morning.
Everyone goes by and sees her sitting there crocheting a blanket.
She has no expression on her face and most of the people who go by her think she is sad.
After a while, people started leaving wildflowers, and notes, and they would often make funny faces or do weird silly stuff outside her window.
Despite all of their effort, she still looked sad. Her expression never changes.
The only thing that was changing was the blanket she was knitting. It was colorful, it was beautiful and it was getting big.
As the days went by, they wondered what they were doing wrong.
Why couldn’t they make her smile?
Did anyone ever ask her if she was sad?
Did everyone assume she was sad because she was without an emotional reaction?
Was she sad?
She enjoyed listening to the birds and hearing the kids get off the school bus.
She enjoyed the feel of the sunlight on her face and the smell of the wildflowers delivered by her neighbors.
She also appreciated the simple pleasure of rocking in her chair and crocheting her blanket.
Some days she was sad, some days she was content. Some days she had a giddiness in her heart, other days she was joyful.
Finally, someone asked her if she was sad.
She said, “No, not today.”
She said she appreciated every emotion. She also mindfully weaved these emotions into her blanket.
Each color, each loop of yarn was an expression of her life. It tied it all together and it made her heart feel full.
She felt all of her emotions in her own way and she enjoyed them all.
She enjoyed the simplicity of her life. The feel of her blanket and the tapestry of experience.
And yes, she even enjoyed all of the silly jesters and gifts left for her. She enjoyed them in her own way because she was blind.
She enjoyed the sadness, the happiness, and everything in between.
And you can weave these kinds of emotions into your life too.
My suggestion is if you’re going to be sad, then do so mindfully.
Feel what you’re feeling. Recognize where this feeling is located or where in your body this sensation is coming from.
Are you so sad, that you want to cry? Then cry.
Give yourself a deep hearty cry.
Don’t try to move it away push it away or change it in any way.
This is not the time for evaluation of “why” you’re sad. Analyzing is for another day.
So the next time you’re having a miserable day, be grateful that you have the ability to feel all the tapestry of emotions in your life even if you can’t “see” the problem.
Acknowledge it and allow it to pass through so that we can go on to another day.
Take a deep breath in and exhale
So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE thing.
Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.
Be mindful-one minute at a time.
Hugs, Cheryl
Let me ask you, do you have days of being sad? What do you do when you feel that way?
