Danke für manche Traurigkeiten

Yesterday morning when I checked my messages like I do every morning, I got some very shocking news. My mother had sent me a message to let me know my step-grandmother had passed away from cancer. They had only found that the cancer had spread to her liver 8 days prior. I didn't even know she was sick.

I didn't know her very well. My grandfather had been married to her for about 15 years, and I'd only met her about 5 times. It was still hard for me to take the news though. It reminded me how far away I am. I can't be with my family to comfort them. My only connection is through a very impersonal computer. It's really hard to swallow that, especially when I consider how many other things can go wrong when I'm so far away.

After I got the news, I went to a special pre-Easter mass for the younger students at my school. One of the songs they sang was "Danke für diesen guten Morgen". It was difficult for me to be thankful, and I could hardly consider the morning to be good, but then there was the line "danke für manche Traurigkeiten". Thank you for some sadness. With all the good we need some bad as well for balance. I can look at this as a reminder of life. I have to keep living life, and when I'm able to work through some sadness, I'll be able to live stronger.