It's Okay to Be Sad

Recently, my Mother's health took a turn. She went from an independent woman, cooking and cleaning for herself to barely responsive, living moment to moment in a hospice facility in the course of three short weeks. There is a complicated history with my family, and I am doing my best to be my best under these circumstances.

At home I am missed. I may be loud. I may be boisterous. I may be emotional. I may be colorful. I am never boring. And until recently, I am never absent. Being at the hospital for long hours and managing the move to hospice meant that family members were tossed into roles in which they were unfamiliar. It's not that they couldn't, it's that maybe they shouldn't.

Today, as life settles into a new normal, I find that I am feeling sad. My kids told me that they are sad without me. Even when I am home, my thoughts are not with them. Maybe it is okay to be sad. Maybe it is okay to hide a little bit. Maybe it is okay to think about something else for a little while. Maybe, just for a few minutes, the chaos can wait outside.

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." MT 11: 28-30