Feeling sad or empty or like I’m falling apart is not a sign of weakness. It’s just ‘what is.’ And ‘what is’ is always fine. What makes it seem “not fine” is my judgment, “this should not be.” Without that thought everything just comes and goes like the weather.
The rain is not a sign of the weather’s weakness. It’s replenishing things. It rains until it’s rained enough and then stops. It rains and then it doesn’t and then it rains again and the weather just allows it.
Emptiness is not a sign of a cup’s weakness. It’s a sign it’s ready to be filled with something new. A cup will just wait for the next thing. It’s doing its job empty or full. And soon it’s full without any effort of its own. And then it’s empty again. Both states, just part of being a cup.
Leaves falling are not a sign of a tree’s weakness. They’re a necessary part of a tree’s growth and then the fallen leaves become food for that growth. The tree never frets, “My leaves!” It just lets them go…and without the tree having to do a damn thing to get them back, the most nourishing parts of them just come right back in through its roots. What a gift.