John Porcellino is an artist for comic books. During a recent interview he related a time when a major illness came into his life. " I was in terrible pain, and very frightened. It’s hard to keep your wits about you in such instances," he recalled. His way of managing that time of illness, pain and fear is both instructive and inspiring:
"When I got very ill, the first thing I thought, naturally, was 'Why me?' But just as naturally, the next thought was, 'Why not me?' Terrible things happen to people every day. Why should I be exempt?"
That shift in thinking enabled Porcellino to see his difficulty differently. He says it became "an opportunity to explore selflessness, patience, courage and fearlessness."
Apply his approach to your difficulty. While it is natural - even inevitable - to wonder 'why me' try viewing it from the larger perspective that grief comes to everyone. There are no exemptions. Then begin to identify and explore the 'opportunities' which present themselves in your grief. Here are a few words of wisdom to guide you . . .
“Heartache purged layers of baggage I didn’t know I carried. Gifts hide under the layers of grief.” - Shauna L Hoey
"You know, life fractures all of us into little pieces. It harms us, but it’s how we glue those fractures back together that makes us stronger." - Carrie Jones
“Adversity is neither friend nor foe. It is a common acquaintance that is desired less and rewarded most when embraced.”
- Carolyn Wells
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