Gifts

“Suck it up, Buttercup.” “You’re so emotional.” “Don’t feel so much.” There’s an extremely good chance you’ve been on the receiving end of one of these sharp-edged quotes. Or, at the very least, you’ve said it to someone or witnessed another receiving this advice. In some cases, it could be the exact thing that needs to be said. In other cases, maybe not so much.

We’ve been given a bountiful array of emotions, ranging from abject despair to unimaginable joy. And all of them deserve equal respect. Each one serves a purpose. Now, it doesn’t mean we must sit in a particularly raw emotion for an over-extended period of time. It could become unhealthy and may turn pain into suffering. But we shouldn’t discount the benefits of sitting in ‘it’ for an appropriate amount of time given the circumstances.

The thing is; every emotion is a gift. How we choose to lean into them, and for how long, is up to us. It is always a choice that we get to make.