Some of you may remember that six weeks ago I suffered an episode of Trans Global Amnesia (no, I’d never heard of it either). Since then (as my doctor had warned me may happen) my emotions have been all over the place. I weep. A lot.
It seems as though a lifetime of all the sad things I’ve seen, heard and experienced have welled up within me. Grim childhood experiences, long buried, have risen up to be remembered; some family deaths feel like they happened yesterday; my dreams are vivid and some are echoing past traumas. In my work (social work, teaching and homelessness) I saw and heard some of the worst that humankind can perpetrate on each other - and being pragmatic I simply did what I could and moved on. But now, I weep as I remember.
Fortunately my family are extremely encouraging and supportive - when I dissolve into tears they’re ready with a tissue and a hug, but I don’t know myself at the moment. I don’t feel sad all the time, but I’m easily triggered by things that cause me to feel overwhelming sadness.
The bible talks about a season for all things, including ‘a time to weep’ and I know this will pass, but I wondered what seasons others are going through at the moment?
To everything there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to break down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to count as lost,
a time to keep and a time to discard,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.