Life does follow exactly the same course although at times this may seem unlikely or impossible. We have all had times in our lives when it seemed as if the dark clouds would never leave us and the pain seemed unbearable and never ending. But as time passes  those clouds do dissipate and things become easier. Maybe not perfect, but at least the burden or hurt becomes only a memory to be tucked away where only in quiet times does it sometimes come back to haunt us. And even then, it only gives momentary twinges of discomfort and can be returned to it's secret little corner of our mind with less effort each time it surfaces.

Eventually, believe it or not, those memories even change and we begin to remember not the pain, but the happiness and joy which perhaps were also a part of the scenario of that particular time in our lives. The mind does have it's own way of actually making things more tolerable if we make a definite effort to have a positive outlook and realize that life does come sometimes with more than it's share of disappointment and sadness and in reality it is up to us how we deal wth the cards we are dealt.

 Every experience in our lives leaves an imprint. It is entirely up to us what effect that imprint has on us and I believe we come away from it  better for having been forced to accept the lesson  it will have engraved on our hearts and our minds.

For anyone presently facing the dark clouds of life I know my words will seem ridiculously optimistic but believe me, I know I am right! NOTHING lasts forever. Not even pain or hurt. Each day that passes those clouds will become less overwhelming and one day you will find the sun  is actually beginning to peek out from behind those clouds and it's radiance  will in time chase those clouds right off the horizon.

Take from the experience the good and discard the the rest. Cherish the moments which brought happiness. For in order to cause pain there must first have been feelings which were of enough significance to cause  both emotions. Why not discard the hurtful and treasure the moments which brought joy? Doesn't that make a lot more sense than dwelling only on the dark side of the experience? Why cause yourself more pain unnecessarily ? Life will provide our fair share of that, we do not need to assist in that exercise.

We will all face loss and disappointment whether it be through the death of a loved one or the loss of trust due to betrayal by someone we love. The first is inevitable at times due to health problems or aging. The exception is the loss of a child and is one which we will never really accept, nor will that pain abate even with time. There will always be a void in our lives if we are forced to cope with such a tragedy. Nothing else will ever cause suffering  to the same degree. Only someone who has been through  such a horror can truly understand the scope of the tragedy. Anything else pales in comparison. But even that pain can be lessened by holding fast to the memories of how loved that child was in the brief time  you shared your life with  the little one. Those memories can, and will comfort you through the years, and the grief will in time be coloured by pleasant thoughts which make it almost bearable.

Loss of trust and betrayal comes with intense pain but time will resolve the problem as new horizons open before you. It is always difficult to accept that our choices have been wrong and our trust misplaced but we must face the fact that we, for it does take two, have failed to create a long term relationship built on trust, friendship, and mutual respect  whether through misunderstanding or circumstances beyond our control or because the foundation of the relationship was wrong from the beginning. Often we cannot accept the inevitability of such events but in retrospect if we are honest with ourselves we know that it was meant to be this way.

Bottom line ... the rain may come with dark clouds but the sun will shine again and then we will have the  beauty of the violets and that heavenly scent of the lilacs ! Without the rain the violets and lilacs would not flourish you know, nor would they ever be so much appreciated.

As someone once said ..." If good things must come to an end don't cry because they are over, smile because they ever happened." If we can only gain the wisdom to remember this, and not dwell only on the negative, life will most assuredly become so much brighter.

 The important thing is never ever to stop trying. We must know how to weep with our whole heart in order to be able to laugh and enjoy life even when we can't see the violets or enjoy the wonderful aroma of the lilacs, always remembering  that they will reappear in time.