Laughing or Languishing?

From the Ferret Tarot, the Six of Cups:

This image made me smile along with the ferrets; I too have looked at old pictures and hooted over the hairstyles and clothes worn "back then."  A small part of me wonders if I'll ever be able to enjoy a good belly laugh like that again, or if all that fun is truly in the past.  There is so much serious stuff going on right now that I feel almost insensitive and uncaring if I even dare to smile.  Yet if I'm honest, I'll realize that there was plenty of pain that accompanied those good times in the past.  And probably what helped me through the pain was finding something to laugh with others about.

From the Nature's Wisdom Oracle comes the "Crane:"

In cultures of the East, the crane is associated with longevity, good fortune, wisdom and happiness.  I only recently discovered that the red on their faces is not feathers but bare skin.  It reminds me that though I would like to hide under the covers from all that is unpleasant, the vulnerable part of me is what opens me to experience hope and joy as well.  Most cranes have developed elaborate "dances" they use in social or courting situations.  Like them, I must learn to dance through the ups and downs, realizing the balance of both in my life.  I recently read a blog post by Ginny Hunt on 78 Notes to Self; it included a poem by Rumi that seemed to shake up my thinking about the good and bad that come my way.  The last line of the poem is:

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from above.