Grief and Delight

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Kahlil Gibran

While I have not come to fully love life in Oklahoma, I have come to accept it. I've been trying to figure out why I cannot quite love Oklahoma, and I think it comes down to comparing it to other places I've lived. I've lived in some pretty awesome places, and Oklahoma itself might be awesome, but I'm not allowing myself to see that. All I see is this is not Philadelphia or this is not New York or this is not the Carolinas. How fair is that to Oklahoma? to myself?

Unless I can see past my romantic ideas of other places I've lived, I'll never fall for Oklahoma. I need to fall for Oklahoma since we're at least here for another year and some change, if not longer. In an effort to force myself to change, I'm going to publicly grieve elements of the country that I miss while living out here and I will publicly delight in things I can only enjoy in Oklahoma.

Perhaps if I let myself mourn the things lost, I might be able to enjoy the new things in my life out here in Oooooooooklahoma.