Grief and apocalypse belong together. Too often we imagine that grief is the same thing as rage, guilt, and despair just because we often feel those emotions when we grieve. To grieve is to feel those terrible feelings so deeply that they no longer have the same power over us. Tears are cleansing. They wash away the old and make way for the new.
Tears are precious.
The Victorians would save tears in special little vials and send them to their loved ones. Tears clear out the passageway to our heart. By feeling utterly sorry for ourselves, we are once again able to feel sorrow for others. When we bear witness, we are seeing with the eyes of our heart, we are seeing with compassion. When we view all of creation with compassion, we become like the trees or like the mountains.