Bitter-sweet

I recently listened to an interview with author Susan Cain on a The Good Life Project podcast. (one of my favorite podcasts) Her new book, "Bittersweet - How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole" was just released. Susan spoke of the reality that joy and sorrow, light and dark, bitter and sweet, are forever fundamentally paired. I've finally accepted this as a truth, one I have pushed against much of my life. I used to believed if joy, light and sweet weren't part of my reality, I wasn't doing it right. Life has taught me, and Ms. Cain reminded, it's both. "It is the true nature of things."

The question becomes what do I/we long for to transform pain into beauty? I have so many examples of friends and family who transmuted painful experiences into light. They connect us. Music is one of the things that transforms my darkness and pain to joy and delight, listening, playing, feeling it. What do you long for? What transforms your sorrow to joy, bitter to sweet?