But about when life brings you a different kind of hiccup?
Cancer. A betrayal. Job loss. A death. You know… nasty stuff that breaks the comfortable rhythm of your life. What then? There’s no special lollipop remedy for these hiccups.
So what does help?
Judaism offers one suggestion: “Gam ze ya’avor – this too shall pass."
Just as night gives way to day and winter gives way to spring, we’re reminded that nothing lasts forever. Not pain. Not heartache. Not sadness.
Here's a nice story about the fleeting nature of things. It reminds us that life has its "downs" but also invariably has its "ups":
"King Solomon instructed one of his ministers to find a ring that could turn a happy person sad, and a sad person happy. King Solomon thought it was a ruse that would confound his best minister.
However, the minister was inspired. When he came to a goldsmith and inquired of this ring, he was told that he had come to the right place. The goldsmith inscribed on the ring three Hebrew letters: gimmel, zayin, yud. These letters stood for the words, “Gam zeh ya’avor,” This too shall pass.
The minister returned to King Solomon, and presented him with the ring. Smiling at the thought of winning the challenge, King Solomon took one look at the ring and lost his smile.
Thus, he learned that even his wisdom and great wealth were but fleeting things and that nothing lasts forever."
What do you think? Can remaining mindful that life is filled with change and impermanence help bring comfort? If not, what does?
How do you find the strength to get through life’s hiccups?
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