If this seems like a grand paradox, it is. As a pastor for thirty years, I have conducted a lot of funerals. In many of these I have seen people weep. Yet through their sorrow, there was joy. Many people have wept bucketsful of tears, tears of gratitude for the years of love and joy that were experienced.
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
There can be great joy in sadness, because joy is not the opposite of sorrow. I learned this from a dear friend of mine, John Wayne. A couple of years ago my daughter, Carol, was in the hospital following a serious motorcycle accident which resulted in the loss of her leg. She received many cards and gifts, and one she especially treasured was a beautifully autographed photograph of Duke. Many people never realized that John Wayne was not only a terrific actor and cowboy, but also a very perceptive, intelligent human being.