Sorrow and Joy – A Poem

I knew it

would be a

day of opposites.

In the morning,

saying farewell to

one life and

in the evening,

celebrating another. In

the end, however,

there was joy

and sadness at

both. The funeral

celebrated a life

long lived of

a much loved

man, one who

gave his children

love and a

life filled with

happiness. As I

stood there with

the mourners, I

noticed people reminiscing

the life of

this man and

how the people

in this room

had loved him

and had been

loved by him.

There were smiles

as people greeted

others they hadn’t

seen for a

while, laughter as

they shared stories

from the past

and tears as they

finally said goodbye.

With voices raised

in song, I

could feel him

there and knew

that he was

with us all.

Later, we drove

to the birthday

party, celebrating a

life lived for

seventy years. The

family were gathered

to cherish her

life, to share

in her joy, but

also her sorrow.

There were too

many people that

weren’t there with

all of us,

too many whose

lives were taken

too soon. So

while it was

a celebration, it

was also a

remembrance for those

who were not

there in the

physical sense. However,

looking around at

all the people

in the room,

I knew that

those lost to

us were there

anyway, filling the

empty chairs amongst

us. We raised

a glass to

them and as

we all clinked

glasses, the room

was filled with

light. That light

was filled with

joy and sorrow,

pain and forgiveness.

As we drank

to them, we

remembered them. In

the end, neither

event was full

of just sorrow

or just joy.

It was all

about balance. I

knew that the

day left me

changed and even

more grateful for

the life that

I have.