Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) is 11 years old and lives in rural Western Massachusetts with her single mother Janet (Julianne Nicholson), an acupuncturist. She is a quiet, reflective girl, who enjoys being alone. At summer camp, she sneaks out in the middle of the night and calls her mother to come pick her up. She’d rather spend time with her than with her peers. She also enjoys being in nature, listening to the sounds of the crickets and the birds, and playing with some small dolls she has set up on a stage. She doesn’t have any friends.
Janet has been dating Wayne (Will Patton), but Lacy dislikes him and encourages her mother to break up with him. At a performance in the woods by a troupe of actors, Janet recognizes an old friend, Regina (Sophie Okonedo), who has been dating the head of the commune, Avi (Elias Kotias)i. Without much explanation, she moves in with Janet and Lacy. Although the girl finds her interesting, she’s not unhappy when she eventually leaves. Janet then begins to date Avi.
What Lacy really wants is a close relationship with her mother. Yet Janet’s planet is populated with a lot of other people – a string of suitors and old friends. Although she understands all this, Lacy is still sad about it. She tells her mother that “every moment of my life is hell.”
Sadness is a subjective experience. People succumb to it for different reasons and at different times. It is contagious, so if you are around sad people or constantly exposed to sad news, it can be hard to shake. Sadness is not the same thing as depression (for which you probably need professional help), but it can still surprise, unsettle, and shake us to our core.
Coming-of-age in Janet’s world, Lacy would do well to learn to work with her sadness, unmask it, face it, and find out how to transform it. Here are some ways to do that recommended by spiritual teachers:
- Restore the energy depleted by sadness by singing loudly.
- Use affirmations to take the edge off sadness.
- Abandon the habit of having high expectations.
- Accept impermanence and see sadness as a temporary thing. Remember, “this too shall pass.”
- Observe and interact with animal companions – or some special toys – as a way of moving beyond the isolation of sadness.
- Learn something new; a new passion can counteract sadness.
- Count your blessings every evening; write some of them down in a gratitude journal.
- Take brief and brisk walks; being in nature can shift your focus from your sadness.
- Sunlight is healing for the body during sadness; get out in the sunshine, welcoming it as a way to brighten your day.