When I was 16 years old I took a trip to Europe with my high school. We traveled to the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany, learning about the history of these places.

While in Germany we went to Auschwitz, the former Nazi concentration camp. As we walked onto that haunted land, I was silent, stunned, overcome with grief for the people who had passed through there decades ago. For the people, my people, the Jews, and the others that were forced to come there. And I noticed-

It was a beautiful day. Warm breeze, blue sky, puffy clouds. Birds chirped. It was Summer. A beautiful Summer day.

And I imagined there were days just like this, when the barracks were filled with skeletal humans, when the fires burned flesh, when the children learned what pain was. There were still days, beautiful days, of pain and sunshine.

In some ways it seems cruel- how can there be such beauty and pain at once? When I’ve had times of deep sadness or illness, it seems contrary when the weather does not cry with me. When the storms inside of us are not reflected outside.

But that’s the way of the world. There is always pain and sunshine. Somewhere.

So when you are soaking in a beautiful day, the breeze flowing just right and you find yourself at peace… maybe take a moment to acknowledge that others are still in pain. Maybe don’t ignore the stories and heartbreak. Maybe do just a little something to help those who are so deep in their pain, they don’t even know what the weather is doing.

And if you are that person, deep in your pain, inextricably connected to the things that are torturing your people… remember to look up. To breathe in the expansive sky. To know that allowing yourself moments outside of the despair is not a treason to the pain. You are still allowed beauty. You are still allowed rest. You are still allowed pleasure. The sun still shines for you too.

There is always pain and sunshine.