Eye See Diamonds In Your Eyes

"We can't let such an inevitable thing as death stand in the way of enjoying life while we have it." (Fitzgerald 101)

This weekend, while reading "The Diamond As Big As The Ritz", this line, although bizarre in context, resonated with a situation I dealt with this week. I shall not disclose any personal information but a friend of mine was battling, or is still battling, the confusion and grief of losing more than one of his loved ones in a span of two weeks. This friend reached out to me, and having never experienced loss to such an extent, I struggled to gather my thoughts and find something to say. I wanted to comfort him and help him find the strength to move forward but I was uncertain if what I was saying was too insensitive. My friend had told me that he felt, "no point in trying to be happy anymore," because, "something is just gonna come again, throw it on the floor, and stomp the s*** out of it." My immediate response that came to mind was that he needed to be happy. I wanted him to be happy for me and for his family, because if he was hurting then it would hurt us too. However, I contemplated the situation once again and realized that it would be selfish to say that he should be happy for anyone other than himself; that he should be happy for the sake of others and suppress his raging cries. Instead, I told him that the feelings that he was suffering from --- sadness, guilt, anger --- none of these deserved to take away his happiness. Not knowing why life makes you part ways with your loved ones before you are prepared is something that is "inevitable" (Fitzgerald 101), but like I discussed in my previous post, time does not wait for anyone. You can only keep these people in your memories and cherish the life ahead of you that much more. Being vulnerable at a time like this is nothing to be ashamed of, however, do not let the smallness you are feeling consume you. Take advantage of the hurt and longing you're suffering from and allow to build your character. You will never be "normal" again, but you will be stronger.