Happy Loss is understanding that the things we care about are precious to usPrecisely because they have a shelf life, and a temporary lifespan,People, pets, and potential don’t last forever, which is why we make such a fuss,And should appreciate and connect with them now, and for as long as we can. [full text below]Ep. 413 - Happy Loss We begin as always with the Happy Creed. We believe in Happy, in Balance and Growth, of being Mindful and Grateful,Compassionate and Understanding. YowzaHahaMy Happy Friends! Sometimes you lose things--your keys, your socks, the remote, or maybe even your way, And it can be quite heart-breaking because suddenly life stops making sense,Now, I’m not suggesting you should be glad to lose the things you had hoped would stay,But neither should you let it derail you or make you think it’s a deliberate occurrence. I was eight before I first started to doubt that things would always work out for me,Which really hurt because when I was seven I was so sure I was the chosen one,I’d been so cute and popular that people used to fight over whose best friend I’d be,But as my cuteness faded so too did my popularity and with it all my hope, joy and fun. I turned bitter, angry and fearful, I broke things, I burned things, and I learned how to hate,I got bullied by what seemed to be everyone, some actively, some passively,But as they all contributed to my maddening isolation, I couldn’t really differentiate,And so I cursed them all, some just slightly, others quite massively. Why had I lost everything? I howled. Just when things had been going so well, too?If I hadn’t been so popular to begin with, then the fall wouldn’t have been quite so tragic,But I became a widespread subject of scorn and ridicule and there was nothing I could doExcept vow revenge on all those who I blamed for taking away my good luck and magic. But when things end, finding perspective may be the only thing to save you from despair,I had to tell myself that at least I wasn’t dead or imprisoned, I was merely mistreated,The world had abandoned me and so I turned my back on it--which is only fair, And I started rebuilding my life in spite of my losses--for I’m not one to be defeated. It got worse before it got better, but the time I took learning about myself was time well spent,Often we go through life not really testing or pushing ourselves and I was basically asleep,It took losing my illusions to make me realize that I should never be idle or overly content,Because time is too valuable to waste being lazy or shallow, and never digging too deep. Part of being human is dealing with loss, it’s just how it sometimes goes,Relationships end, loved ones pass away, good fortune turns bad, and dreams disappear,But to go insane, to cut yourself off from living, or to stop caring is not what I’d propose, For it’s the very fact that things only last for a limited time that makes them feel so dear. Happy Loss is understanding that the things we care about are precious to usPrecisely because they have a shelf life, and a temporary lifespan,People, pets, and potential don’t last forever, which is why we make such a fuss,And should appreciate and connect with them now, and for as long as we can. HahaYowza