Exhaustion and Fulfillment

When doctors have done everything possible for a cancer patient but there is no improvement, I wonder what words they can offer. And then I realize—I am steeped in sorrow. I am worn out from fear, and weary of losing people I care about. I ask myself why this crushing exhaustion feels so overwhelming, and I remember the moment not long ago when all my hair fell out.
There is also a kind of exhaustion that feels different—what I’d call a “happy tiredness.” It comes after finishing a good workout, or returning home after a wonderful trip. That kind of fatigue carries joy within it. But the heavy, relentless exhaustion is a warning sign. We must not let it deepen. Choosing to repeat the kinds of experiences that bring “happy tiredness” can be one way to keep the darker kind at bay.

exhaustion, sorrow, fulfillmen