“Mama whispered softly, time will ease your pain. Life’s about changing, nothing ever stays the same.” The haunting lyrics in the hit single by Patty Loveless, “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye,” attempts to describe the inevitability of suffering and loss. Everyone at some point will reach a painful or difficult point in their life, however in time and by God’s grace, it will become beautiful like a blooming flower in the desert. Experiencing loss, though not fun, offers the opportunity to grow in strength and character. All meaningful stories have some great conflict, allowing us to see the whole picture and shedding light on the true meaning and mystery of living and growing through loss. Such tales as “Gwilan’s Harp,” “The Washwoman,”
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The tragedy and heartbreak over somehow losing the ability to perform a beloved activity IS unbearable. Ursula K. Le Guin’s stirring, short, story, “Gwilan’s Harp,” demonstrates how the main character, Gwinlan, handles this exact scenario, when her beloved harp becomes smashed in an accident. Furthermore, as she grew older she could no longer play the second-hand harps which her husband found her. Still her troubles increased with an even greater loss, her loving husband passing from this hard life to the beautiful and painless one in Heaven. Sadly, she found herself struggling with her own identity. No longer could she live life as a harpist or a devoted wife because both had moved out of her reach. All her dreams and ambitions, everything she could call her own, simply shattered like her harp. Yet within her heart a spark of courage to face and conquer difficulty arose. “There’s nothing left for me to do but sing. I never could sing. But you play the instrument you have.” Facing heartbreak but refusing to BE broken, allowed Gwilan to bloom in other ways and open up to new opportunities and …show more content…
In those days they did not yet have machines for this, and all laundering demanded meticulous hand-washing, drying, and ironing. Isaac Singer tells a compelling story around this time in history, centered on the life of an old, tired, hardworking washwoman. Throughout the tale, told through the eyes of a little boy who has a strong, unknown connection with the washwoman, the reader learns of her many troubles, including the history of her faithless, wealthy son. He had grown into a successful, selfish man of the world, completely disowning his mother. Losing her son, she losses her only family and struggled alone during the hardship of old age. Eventually, as the story progresses and the cruel, harsh winter weather sets in, her health and strength begin to drift away. As vitality fades, the inability to perform the only task she can rely on in order to survive, becomes inevitable. After collecting the young narrator’s laundry during a winter storm, she mysteriously disappears. All fear she has collapsed in the snow and let death overtake her. However the little woman’s perseverance and determination prevail. In spite of barely making it home and falling dangerously ill, she still refuses to die while people depend on her to finish her task. “I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash,” the old woman explained. “The wash would not let me die.” Her
The tragedy and heartbreak over somehow losing the ability to perform a beloved activity IS unbearable. Ursula K. Le Guin’s stirring, short, story, “Gwilan’s Harp,” demonstrates how the main character, Gwinlan, handles this exact scenario, when her beloved harp becomes smashed in an accident. Furthermore, as she grew older she could no longer play the second-hand harps which her husband found her. Still her troubles increased with an even greater loss, her loving husband passing from this hard life to the beautiful and painless one in Heaven. Sadly, she found herself struggling with her own identity. No longer could she live life as a harpist or a devoted wife because both had moved out of her reach. All her dreams and ambitions, everything she could call her own, simply shattered like her harp. Yet within her heart a spark of courage to face and conquer difficulty arose. “There’s nothing left for me to do but sing. I never could sing. But you play the instrument you have.” Facing heartbreak but refusing to BE broken, allowed Gwilan to bloom in other ways and open up to new opportunities and …show more content…
In those days they did not yet have machines for this, and all laundering demanded meticulous hand-washing, drying, and ironing. Isaac Singer tells a compelling story around this time in history, centered on the life of an old, tired, hardworking washwoman. Throughout the tale, told through the eyes of a little boy who has a strong, unknown connection with the washwoman, the reader learns of her many troubles, including the history of her faithless, wealthy son. He had grown into a successful, selfish man of the world, completely disowning his mother. Losing her son, she losses her only family and struggled alone during the hardship of old age. Eventually, as the story progresses and the cruel, harsh winter weather sets in, her health and strength begin to drift away. As vitality fades, the inability to perform the only task she can rely on in order to survive, becomes inevitable. After collecting the young narrator’s laundry during a winter storm, she mysteriously disappears. All fear she has collapsed in the snow and let death overtake her. However the little woman’s perseverance and determination prevail. In spite of barely making it home and falling dangerously ill, she still refuses to die while people depend on her to finish her task. “I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash,” the old woman explained. “The wash would not let me die.” Her