Laughing At Grief

I scrolled through photos of Rumi quotes on posters, trying to find my favorite one — a quote about dreams. I needed a framed poster to decorate my Brisbane bedroom. Rumi seemed like the ideal Sufi poet for the job.

I liked Brisbane. I wanted to stay for a while. Maybe I'll invest in a few homely things, I thought.

Ah, there it was...

This place is a dream.
Only a sleeper considers it real.
Then death comes like dawn,
and you wake up laughing
at what you thought was your grief.

What a beautiful idea that was — laughing at your grief. Laughing. What a gift it is to be able to laugh at oneself and one's life, even in the lowest moments.