When Pema Chodron was Deirdre Blomfield-Brown she said, “There is nothing wrong with negativity.”  Poet David Whyte writes, “Deirdre saw her depression as a thing in itself, like a mountain or a cloud, with its own life, its own necessities, and therefore worthy of respect, more like a doorway than an obstacle.  It was a path to follow, not an error she made that she should eliminate.”  

As one who reads Pema often and as one who habitually embarks on a “flight to the light,” I’ve learned there is no shame in darkness.  It’s in darkness where we feel safe to explore the parts of ourselves we may hide in the glare of the light of day.  Maybe, it’s why I like when the days grow shorter and the sun rests lower in the sky.   There’s more time for darkness, reflection and tears. I’m often struck at how quickly people apologize for crying and see their sadness and darkness as a beast to be tamed. 

Why fake some happy version of yourself or why wrap yourself in cynicism in order to shield yourself from arrows if your heart is breaking and life is kicking you hard? What good does this do in the world?