You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Four weeks ago, at 3am, we received the call that my father-in-law was dying. The turmoil of grief surrounded us as we suspended our daily life to accompany him on this final journey.
Looking for support, I turned to my 12-step community, finding a Zoom meeting to attend. I happened to land in a laughter meditation meeting.
It was disrupting, grieving amidst laughing faces. I felt out of place. Yet, in watching them, I couldn’t help but start laughing.
My laughter became a deep belly laugh, which turned into tears. I spent the next fifteen minutes alternating between laughing and crying.
Grief and joy arise from similar places. I found myself in this group of strangers able to welcome these deep emotions.
We often distract ourselves from feelings that can overwhelm us. Grief, laughter, anger, joy all get muted when we only try and play the middle.
Our Psalmist beckons us to feel things fully so that they might be transformed. What are you being called to feel today? How will you react when it comes up?
--Dax Franklin-Hicks
Reframe means taking a fresh look at an old story.
It’s a way of experiencing your world differently, even though the landscape may seem similar.