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"Plutarch to his wife, greeting:
"The messenger you sent me to tell me of the death of our
little girl seems to have missed his way on the road to
Athens, but I heard the news from our granddaughter when
I reached Tanagra. I suppose the funeral has already
taken place, and I hope everything was done in a way to
give you the least pain both now and in time to come...
"Try, by carrying yourself back in memory, to return often to the
time before this child was born, when we had no
complaint against Fortune, and compare our situation now
with what it was then, as though it had merely become
again the same as it was. For, dear wife, we shall seem
to be regretting the birth of our little daughter if we
think of our situation before her birth as happier than
it is now. Not that we should wipe from our memories the
two years between, when she was alive, but consider them
as a gift of grace and special joy. We must not call a
blessing a great affliction because it was short, nor be
unthankful for what was given us because Fortune did not
grant us all we hoped for. If we always speak well of
Deity, and are cheerful and content with Fortune, we
shall have a fair and pleasant reward. For one who in a
position like ours mostly tries to remember his
blessings, and turns and diverts his mind from the dark
and distressing things in life to what is bright and
splendid, will either cure his grief altogether or else
make it seem insignificant and pale in comparison with
his comforts." (Plutarch, Letter of Consolation to His
Wife on the Death of Timoxena)
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