Finding Sunshine After Rain

A is for Acceptance.  Confronted with circumstances which can’t be changed; when we can’t turn back the clock, we need to move from anger and denial to acceptance.

I wish you acceptance

B is for Bereavement.  To mourn is natural; mourning is to be found in our world, and in the rest of the natural world.

I wish you time to mourn

C is for Courage.  When our world collapses, we need to find our core of courage and tap into it.

I wish you courage

D is for Divine.  All souls are divine and we do not understand all the mysteries of that divinity.

I wish you this divine truth

E is for Empathy – To get lost in our own suffering is to become indifferent to the sufferings of others. 

I wish you empathy

F is for forgiveness.  To forgive the person, or people, or circumstances that took our joy and our reason for living away from us is our challenge.

I wish you this forgiveness

H is for Hope. We must never lose hope in living.

I wish you continued hope

I is for Introspection.  How could things have been different? How could this have been avoided?

I wish you the ability to move from feeling to thinking so you can help find and implement answers

J is for Justice.  Is justice called for? What kind? How can we go about seeking it without turning into vigilantes?

I wish not just you, but all of us, set our minds to thinking about these things and acting appropriately on them

K is for Kindness.  We need to keep our hearts from becoming hardened no matter what blows are struck at us.

I wish you continued kindness

L is for Love. Only love can heal a broken heart.  We have to reach out to others in love and allow others to reach out to us.

I wish you love

M is for Mindfulness.  We have to live each moment with a heightened consciousness.

I wish you live every minute of your life with a heightened consciousness

N is for Nearness.  We should stay close.  Especially to those who are near and dear to us.

I wish you closeness with all those you care about and those who care about you

N is for Number.  Number your blessings.

I wish you are reminded daily of the blessings and the miracles in your life

O is for Openness.  Now and always, we should be completely open – to people, to opportunities, to ideas.

I wish you openness

P is for for Prayer.  The ultimate healer.

I wish you the solace of prayer

Q is for Quietness.  Healing silence.

I wish you the solace of quietness and meditation 

R is for Reassurance.  We need to plant the seeds of a renewal, of a new hope and vitality, and reassure ourselves about the future.

I wish you reassurance

S is for Sunshine.  After the rain, comes sunshine

I wish you sunshine

T is for Trust.  We need to trust in the essential goodness of the earth and all who inhabit it.

I wish you trust

U is for for Universality.  Suffering is universal.  It’s part of our humanness.

I wish you the understanding that you are not alone in your suffering

V is for Vision.  Using the lens of our grief, we should look at the big picture of our lives and enlarge our vision.

I wish you an expanded vision

W is for Wisdom.  Knowledge has limits. With experience comes the gift of wisdom.

I wish you the ability to use this gift

X is for kisses (as in XOXO).  Even when we are deep in sickness or sorrow, be sure there are kisses from angels on our foreheads when we sleep.

I wish you the comfort of knowing you are watched over

Y is for Yielding.  Letting go and let God.

I wish you the ability to release your feelings and your pain to a higher power

Z is for ZZZZZZ.  Blessed rest.  The rest our minds, bodies, hearts and souls need to mend and to heal.

I wish you blessed rest

P.S. Finding Sunshine After Rain is dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy, their families, friends, neighbors, classmates, schoolmates, and the community of Newtown, Connecticut.

Our hearts and prayers are with you.