Glad That It Happened

I've recently been mourning the loss of a handful of things in my life. Seasons and people that meant something special to me, but I'll never have them back. I have a feeling you can relate.

Last night, as I was driving to dinner, someone reminded me of a famous quote: "Don't be sad that it's over; be glad that it happened."

Man, I needed that. As much as I mourn the loss of some of these beautiful things in my life, I need to remember that mourning comes not from their mere absence, but from how good they were. That distinction matters!

The absence of sadness isn't joy; it's apathy. Sadness is the natural byproduct of losing something that matters. In order to feel the loss of something that matters, something has to matter. If we never feel the pain and suffering of loss, it means nothing really mattered. That's apathy.

Shifting our perspective on this idea can help reframe our attitude toward the pain. Yes, we should mourn, but no, it's not a bad thing. I hope to mourn many more amazing things in my life. I don't want to be sad it's over; I want to be glad it happened.

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