a simple man’s wish

For what does a man wish, for the people who illuminate him? For the people whose light makes him lighter?

For you, I wish for tears…

…of joy, obviously, because joy isn’t fully known without tears.

…of awe, because to experience beauty and wonder is one of the few things that makes the suffering of this world feel like an even trade.

…of sadness; an old friend once told me that tears are what heal the soul. It’s true.

…over spilled milk, because we must learn the important lesson that it’s not worth crying over.

…of grief; to know that suffocating void means you also know how expansive and glorious love really is.

…of seeing a child play; the laughter and glee of children is one of the few ways to preview what heaven looks like, sounds like.

…of laughter, because you cannot make it — it is literally impossible — without humor and levity.

…of heartbreak, because only after heartbreak do you understand the blessing of being bonded to — and enmeshed in love with — another soul.

…and finally, I wish you tears of gratitude for all the other tears you have shed that have gotten you here.

To be grateful for the suffering and the joy, even when you lie awake with a stomach full of overwhelm and regret, to be able to pray this prayer though you are silently weeping — “Thank you, God, for I am loved” — means that you have been fully alive.