240316 What I learned in my studies this morning 4

Today's Meditation(s):

Enchiridion, 26 (Waterfield) 

"So it goes," right?

My friend's a Vonnegut nut, which is good or I'd probably never have read him. "So it goes" resonated deeply with me.

Death is. There's no bargaining with it. There's no changing it. Once it's here, pretending otherwise is actively lying to myself.

It's not innocent. It's not harmless. It leads me to bad decisions (or not making necessary ones) and turning an already bad situation worse.

Am I forbidden to grieve? No. Within reason, Stoics grieve as does anyone else, but we strive to practice temperance in our indulgence.

Follow Reason.

Follow Nature.

Focus on what is up to me and what is not up to me.

Use wisdom, courage, and justice. What others do or think is not up to me.

What's the old saying? If you're going through hell, keep going.

If my grief is crippling me, making me unable to help my family or myself, then it's harming my life. Why wouldn't I want to process it as quickly as I can do a good job and get back to loving and supporting my family effeftively as soon as I can? In what universe is that a bad thing?