The wisdom of anger

I was enjoying an excellent lunch with several friends in a lovely setting. These three women had all experienced anger within the last few days and still felt uncomfortable about it; even though it seemed to me that they had good reason to be angry. As a psychotherapist, I don’t see all anger as unhealthy. When anger comes to us as an internal message (a messenger), it can be a signal that something is wrong.

However, anger can be a difficult issue for many of us because our culture suggests that anger in women can be unfeminine, uncaring or even neurotic. Let’s be honest, not all anger is healthy. It is healthy anger that women need to identify and embrace. As children of God, we are born with the right to all our feelings. Once we truly understand and believe that our emotions are gifts, we can claim the peace that comes with self-acceptance. Once we achieve this peace, we can resolve matters in our lives that trouble us.

This message is adapted from “The Wisdom of Anger” written by Jean Gray in the July/August 2005 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.