When Joy and Grief Meet

Joy and grief, that space between is not so far apart. It’s actually intertwined. And I know that can be scary. I get that. But it can also give you freedom. There’s freedom in knowing you can carry joy and grief together. There’s freedom in knowing you don’t need closure to heal.

-Nancy Berns

The Women's Group (TWG) will enter its fourth session in a couple of weeks, and as I wrack my brain about what it is that has brought us growing success each session the answer is clear; TYO is a place where women in Nablus can congregate to not only share in their joys, but also their sorrows. Like TYO, sociologist Nancy Berns believes that when one opens up and accepts that their internal geography will allow them to freely intertwine their joy and grief they realize that the two states are not so far after all.

Watch Berns' TEDxWomen talk below to learn more about what happens when one allows joy and grief to meet, as our ladies from TWG have. And tell us, have you experienced the spaces between joy and grief; separate or intertwined?

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w0rCfXSdYPE&w=575&h=385]

-Samin

Samin is the Program Coordinator for Women's Empowerment Programs.