As I watched this video from the RSA, I thought of a recent conversation with my 6-year-old.

He was feeling very sad about a wide range of things, and didn’t want to feel this way. He sobbed about not having had the opportunity to spend too much time with our cat Bill, who died. He cried that his favorite tree at a nearby park had been cut down.

I told him it was OK to feel sad and that feelings teach us many things. When we feel sad about something, it means that whatever we’re sad about is important to us.