"When we acknowledge that it is okay to feel bitter, we reconnect with our hurt in a constructive way and can begin the process of working through it."
An excerpt from an article on The Daily Om entitled "Bitterness" . . . the article follows this post. Visit their website for awesome life insight!
The article on bitterness really hit home for me. The Captain and I are still living at my mom's house since Hurricane Irma dropped a tree on our now uninhabitable home.
Our patience with government assistance, bureaucracy and endless red tape has worn extremely thin. Although we were finally approved for SBA disaster assistance, they made a mistake and just when we thought the money would be in the bank within days, the phone call came informing us of a mistake they made which would prolong the process another two months.
So we continue to wait . . . at least we were able to get the tree off the house with FEMA assistance. However, cracked rafters make it unsafe to be under that roof that could collapse at any time. I have not been back home since the hurricane.
Before I go further into this post, I want to mention how grateful I am for my mom, who is putting up with our little quirks and a major disruption in her life.
I'm so grateful for the assistance we have received from FEMA and the SBA. What would we have done without them?
Aside from being so thankful and grateful for our many blessings, I have crept into the clutches of bitterness and anger. I just want to go home! Every time we think it is almost over, we run into another obstacle. It has been unbelievable!
The disasters of last summer with the unusual hurricane devastation way beyond normal left the government with more than they could handle. There are many other families still forced out of their homes after almost six months of experiencing the reality of becoming homeless. Puerto Rico is still enduring the devastating situation as if it happened yesterday with no end in sight. No matter how temporary the situation is, maintaining long term patience and a good attitude is almost impossible. Bitterness is inevitable for even the most normal person.
There are times that bitterness and anger are necessary to keep going. Human nature is to wonder "why me" and it is emotionally healthy to let yourself experience the horrible feelings in order to deal with it. It doesn't help to sweep anything unpleasant under the rug like it doesn't exist.
The Captain and I are just taking one day at a time with as much optimism we can collect to carry to another day. We know that this too shall pass . . .
| Bitterness |
Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims, in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing.
The nature of bitterness is rooted in the fact that the pain we feel provides us with a rationale. We may feel that we deserve to embrace our bitterness to its full extent. And to be bitter is, in essence, to cut ourselves off from all that is positive, hardening our hearts and vowing never to let go of our hurt. But just as bitter feelings can be self-defeating, so too can the release of bitterness be life-affirming in a way that few other emotional experiences are. When we decide that we no longer want to be bitter, we are reborn into a world filled with delight and fulfillment unlike any we knew while in the clutches of bitterness. The veil it cast over our lives is lifted, letting light and warmth touch our souls. Divesting yourself of bitter feelings can be as simple as truly forgiving and moving on. Even when your bitterness has no concrete object, you can forgive situations too. Healing pain can be challenging but may be easier if you remind yourself that you are the only entity truly affected by your emotional state. In time, you will discover that letting go of your bitterness frees you to initiate the healing process and allows you to once again celebrate the possibility of the more wonderful life you deserve.
Source: The Daily Om . . . one of my favorite websites!
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