FranzKafka, the story goes, encountered a little girl in the park where he wentwalking daily. She was crying. She had lost her doll and was desolate. Kafkaoffered to help her look for the doll and arranged to meet her the next day atthe same spot. Unable to find the doll he composed a letter from the dolland read it to her when they met. "Pleasedo not mourn me, I have gone on a trip to see the world. I willwrite you of my adventures." This was the beginning of manyletters. When he and the little girl met he read her from these carefullycomposed letters the imagined adventures of the beloved doll. The littlegirl was comforted. When themeetings came to an end Kafka presented her with a doll. She obviouslylooked different from the original doll. An attached letter explained:"my travels have changed me... " Many yearslater, the now grown girl found a letter stuffed into an unnoticed crevice inthe cherished replacement doll. In summary it said: "every thingthat you love, you will eventually lose, but in the end, love will return in adifferent form." Point: Grief and loss are ubiquitous even for a youngchild. And the way toward healing is to look for how love comes back inanother form. How healing it is to hold this conviction, that love will return.It is our job to recognize it in its new form.
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