THIS, TOO, WILL PASS

I can not begin to tell you how many times I've heard my mother and Suzanne McCurdy (another of my mothers) say, 'This, too, shall pass." One of my favorite movies is Hope Floats. All through that movie that strong, southern, Christian mama kept telling Birdie (Sandra Bullock) that, "This, too, shall pass."

When you're feeling low, weird, wired, or just not yourself it seems like a flippant answer or a cheesy platitude. I can remember being in high school and my mom saying "This, too, shall pass" and thinking, "Whatever lady" but you know what? She's right. They all are and I found a poem in a book that says exactly that. Thought I might share for anyone needing a little bit of hope...because according to the movie, it floats (wha-wha - super cheesy but whatever!).

This, too, will pass. O heart, say it over and over,

Out of your deepest sorrow, out of your grief,

No hurt can last forever - perhaps tomorrow

Will bring relief.

This, too, will pass. It will spend itself - its fury

Will die as the wind dies down with the setting sun;

Assuaged and calm, you will rest again, forgetting

A thing that is done.

Repeat it again and again, O heart, for your comfort;

This, too, will pass, as surely as passed before

The old forgotten pain, and the other sorrows

That once you bore.

As certain as stars at night, or dawn after darkness,

Inherent as the lift of blowing grass,

Whatever your despair or your frustration

This, too, will pass.

Grace Noll Crowell