By Dawn Bauer McIntyre, Women of L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. 1ST

Our lives are filled with many rooms furnished with various emotions. Sadness can be a chair in which we may sit in moments of our life. Sitting in sadness takes courage and faith! Courage to believe we can endure the pain, learn the lesson and come out on the other side. This is typically not the thing we want to hear or think about when profound feelings of sadness are all consuming. For most, the only thing we want to learn is how to make it stop and never occur again; but there is actually deep learning that can resonate from our emotional pain.

In the midst of our pain, we may feel overwhelmed and picked on by life. How many times have I thought or even spoke, “Why me?” In these moments it seems exhausting to even contemplate there is a brighter side and the pain is part of the journey. Their can be a loss that we’re grieving, a disappointment, a betrayal, or just a sadness that looms and hasn’t yet been defined. Somewhere in our hearts we know that eventually we will emerge from the depths into the light with greater awareness. No matter how elusive this thought may seem, we must remember the truth is towards the light, so we must find a way to keep looking forward.

Another thing we may shudder to hear when dealing with intense sadness is the only way out of it is through it. This thought alone can multiply sadness because we may feel powerless to any resource to guide us through and not feel our own strength will suffice. In these times, we may choose to find a person we can trust and reach out for help. We may choose to go it alone with the courage to allow ourselves permission to the grief so we may experience the healing from having trudged forward. The powerful lesson offered is the ability to surrender and accept the change.

Finally, sadness is compassion for others who are in pain, because it is only in feeling our own pain that we can really understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through; we all learn from and are deepened by its presence in our lives. While our individual experiences of sadness carry with them unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal. The wisdom we gain from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity.

Dawn Bauer McIntyre used her personal experience of “tough love” toward her troubled son to found The Family Hope Line in 2009. Family Hope Line is a cost-free placement service which assists families with struggling teens and provides family restoration. Through her company Dawn is a Family Advocate and certified Parent Coach. Her company creates an education-focused environment for teens while providing them with important life lessons to examine failed expectations, low self-esteem and fear which can hinder their potential and personal growth. Dawn is passionate in serving others and volunteers her time to various organizations in her community of St. Simons Island, Ga. Her message for young ladies is to “forgive and move from victim to victor” with a goal of empowering them with personal awareness and obtaining life skills that allow them to impact and empower others with similar struggles. Dawn has served with the Women of L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P. 1ST since May 2011.