Ecclesiastes 7:3
 3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
      because a sad face is good for the heart.
Okay. In verses 1 and 2, we saw the author saying death is better than life, but in death we go to Heaven. He said it’s better to go to funerals than parties, but funerals are where you celebrate someone else’s entry to Heaven. But then in verse, he says sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. Now that one’s weird.
I looked up sorrow and found the following definition in webster:
deep distress, sadness, or regret especially for the loss of someone or something loved.
Not very helpful to be honest. But then I found this other definion at BrainyQuote.com:
The uneasiness or pain of mind which is produced by the loss of any good, real or supposed, or by diseappointment in the expectation of good; grief at having suffered or occasioned evil; regret; unhappiness; sadness.
This definition was then followed by several inspiring and insightful quotes. Here are a few:
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. 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 GibranMake the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.
Henry David Thoreau
This makes me think of my 7-year-old boy, who gets upset and sorrowful quite easily. It drives me crazy to be honest, but knowing his tender heart and now reading this verse and these quotes, I think I have new and profound insight into him. He is the happiest kid I know most of the time, and as happy as he is, that is how sad he gets… I used to think that such sadness was bad for his heart, and yet I don’t see his heart waning one bit. He really enjoys what he enjoys, and he lives for what he enjoys. I have recently started guiding him to take the things he hates, and view them as a channel toward getting what he enjoys… which is time to play. That is what’s important to him… my goal is to give his sorrow (homework, chores, etc.) meaning, by showing him that getting through what makes him sad will bring him to what makes him happy. By doing that with him, his play time now means more to him than it did, and what gave him sorrow is now a source pride for what he is able to do. It was only by watching him that I realized this the way to work with him… I now see that what a saw in my son was a profoundly wise (and biblical) lesson on sorrow.