GRIEF AND GRATITUDE

Tuesday, May 5th, 2026

Sparta Lake, New Jersey

On the phone I said, “There’s this beaver in the water, just five meters away from me playing with a branch.”

“That is a real Canadian story, if ever I heard one,” said Nrsimhananda, my friend from the west coast. Our conversation in session had been interrupted when I saw the rodent acting in this way.

I continued, “I’ll get closer to him and I’ll bet he’ll slap his tail, in defensive warning, but no, he’s practically domesticated, used to humans.”

We were both fascinated by this, but I had to clarify to Nrsimhananda that I’m not in Canada, but in New Jersey. “I cover these north east states every year in May, giving classes in bhakti and giving support at the various ISKCON Centres.” I let him know I’m being a sannyasi, a travelling monk.

Nrsimhananda is from L.A. He recently lost his son, Ishan, found dead on his couch. I had known Ishan from the youth bus tour from a dozen years ago. He’s young, so it is tragic, his leaving. His dad is struggling with a second son now passed away at an early age. Life is tough! He had sent me a piece by Francis Wade Weller, which expresses what he’s going through. Here it is:

“The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand, and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them. How much sorrow can I hold? That’s how much gratitude I can give. If I only carry grief, I’ll bend toward cynicism and despair. If I have only gratitude, I’ll become saccharine and won’t develop much compassion for other people’s sufferings. Grief keeps the heart fluid and soft, which helps make compassion possible.”

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU

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