When did sadness stop covering everything?

I don’t know.

It must have first been for moments,

then maybe hours,

days eventually.

Then for a long time

no longer ever-present,

but just below the surface

waiting for a thought to trigger it.

Now, the ingredients of my life

are suffused with contentment and joy,

but even so,

sadness can surface

unexpectedly

as the dark shape of loss

stirs the cauldron

and tears are added to the soup of life,

salty still,

but not as bitter

or overpowering,

adding an important flavor

to the whole of me.

From Catching the Light – Coming Back to Life after the Death of a Child by Genesse Bourdeau Gentry. www.afterthedeathofachild.com