10,000 Joys & 10,000 Sorrows

Its an old chinese saying - 10,000 Joys and Sorrows. There will be joy and sorrow. On House last night, the crabby doctor said "life IS pain" And he's right. There is pain daily,growing pains.. learning pains.. emotional pain... And JoY! there is so much joy in each and every day! I think, I see.. that most people don't notice, they're too busy looking at the pain and marrying it. Afraid to open themselves to more pain, they reject what could become joy! Fully embracing half of life, the pain.. not the joy. Today, and all week, this keeps coming back to me. Someone I greatly love is in pain.. and within it there is joy. Pain of emotion, and Joy of emotion. Being let down, being hurt there is pain.... experiencing someone's love pouring out, a hand up, a smile, knowing you are so loved in the face of pain.. that is joy.. is it not? Would the joy be as big without the pain? The Park today was more lessons. I was laughing in joy, watching, photographing the ducklings.. so very tiny swimming and waddling around their mom. Sun, nature, my camera, my son.. pure joy... Then.. just like that.. the mother chases a rival duck away, leaving her babies exposed, and just like that... a crow swooped in and carried a duckling away! I screamed outloud, i couldn't stop myself.. it was so painful in that moment! I took to chasing the crow, no way I could catch it, but I tried. The poor duckling, happy and cherised.. then lunch. Jordan cried, and I began telling him it was okay. Then I stopped, told him I agree, it is horrible, awful, sorrowful! But it is life, it is the circle of life, and within that there is joy.. and there is pain. I will do my best to accept, to feel and to embrace it all. Live my life fully, full of emotions.