Continuing the theme of reviving the meaning of life, I want to tell you a story from my practice. It is stories filled with metaphorical meanings that help you see the essence of things and suggest solutions when it is very difficult to find them on your own. Marina, a young girl of about 30, buried her beloved cat. Literally within a month, she found a sick stray dog ​​on the street and tried to save him, turning to various veterinary hospitals and shelters. For a whole week she rushed by car from one authority to another, trying to place the poor dog in a hospital or shelter, but everywhere she was faced with refusal. “We can’t do it without vaccination,” they told her, “We can’t put other animals at risk.” The girl was in despair. As a result, when she once again came to the place where the sick dog lay to feed him, he was not there. People who lived nearby said that the dog had died and was taken away. Experiencing two deaths in a row had seriously undermined her. “I can't save the whole world! - she exclaimed, “But I couldn’t even save two unfortunate animals!” Tears streamed down her beautiful face. It was hard to feel helpless. It hurts to realize that not everything depends on you. At such moments the soul is destroyed and mourns. The meaning of life is lost. “Why am I here? What can I even do? - frequent questions that come to mind in such a state. But the Path of man is not finished yet. He continues to live. How to do it? Where can I get strength? A couple of weeks later, Marina called me via video. Her beautiful manicure was scratched, her nails were broken. But her face shone with some extraordinary light. “I was putting together a diamond mosaic,” the girl said with a slight smile, “look at my nails!” There was not an ounce of regret on her face about the lost manicure. A couple of years ago she went to a diamond mosaic studio. The participants themselves ground the stones to the required size, polished them into the desired shape. Rapidly developing events in life distracted the girl from her hobby and took her attention to other areas and tasks. And now she suddenly remembered (or felt an internal need?) about this activity. “I went to the studio and started working with stone,” she told me, “I was grinding, giving the stones the correct shape, and it seemed to me that this It's about time I sharpen something in myself. It’s as if I’m removing everything unnecessary and imperfect, releasing the very essence. And then I began to lay out the picture. It was a painting of a vase of flowers. Simple ones, like field ones, probably. The work went very slowly, because each pebble had to be found in its place. Somewhere to adjust it, polish it. And gradually the vase of flowers finally began to appear. The stones sparkled and evoked joy. When I finished it, I felt that something had gathered inside me too. It was as if I was putting myself together. Your inner flowers, your desire to live.” Her face was bright and spiritual. It is not for nothing that they say that the external is a reflection of the internal. By establishing order and harmony outside, we put something in place, build something inside ourselves. We are regaining our integrity. Marina had the idea to join the Club of Diamond Mosaic Lovers. They donated their work to hospitals and other public institutions, sharing their inner light and desire to live with other people. How do you help yourself in difficult times? How do you share your love of life with the world and people? A story from psychological practice about self-help after experiencing loss. Names have been changed.