Anger is a gift. That’s right – anger is a gift.
When experiencing or witnessing a betrayal, a hurt, an injustice or a loss –there is something worse than anger.
In the words of Elie Wiesel: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
Worse than sitting with a grieving family, trying to console them after their loss, is sitting with a family and not needing to console them after their loss – because they are indifferent.
Worse than standing at a graveside and being overwhelmed with tears of suffering, is standing at the graveside and being underwhelmed by dry eyes filled with apathy.
Worse than witnessing, hearing of, or even knowing about, a tragedy, an atrocity or someone else’s horror and internalizing their agonizing horror, is to bear witness to the suffering and respond with indifference.
When confronting death’s darkness, felling emotionless, nothingness, apathy, indifference is the true curse.
Sorrow, anguish, suffering and anger – they are expressions of our humanity, signals of love and signs of life.
Don’t deny your anger.
Don’t let others make you hide your anger.
Don’t allow the world to convince you that your anger is wrong.
Anger has a purpose.
Anger has a role within our healing process.
Anger is not a curse. Being without anger can often be the curse.
Anger is neither good nor bad. Anger is just anger. And sometimes, anger can be a gift.
