Sadness and Beauty

I read Bridge to Terabithia this week. My first post on this blog I said that I might ramble about books, but I haven't actually done it yet. So here goes.

I had never planned on reading it. I'd heard it was depressing and someone died at the end, and yeah. Why would I want to read a depressing book like that. But the thing is, I think sometimes I shy away from pain or sadness because of some innate idea that it is horrible and scarring. But its not. Sometimes I think accepting or even inviting pain or sadness into life is a good thing, to a degree of course, moderation and all that. It can be beautiful. In 101 Dalmations (my comfort book) it says in some ways the inverse of what I was just talking about. "Now, carols are always beautiful, but if you are sad they can make you feel sadder. (There are some people who always find beauty makes them sadder, which is a very mysterious thing.)" Basically I think that sometimes beauty and sadness are the same thing, or at least very intertwined. Just like the pine forest in Terabithia is meant to be visited only during times of the greatest joy or the greatest sorrow. I think I need to learn that; learn that hiding from pain, or sadness, or just emotion can mean missing out on the best experiences. So yeah, I liked Bridge to Terabithia.