After losing his wife to cancer, Bob Ross shared a simple truth he learned — both in art and in life

When Bob Ross, the famous American painter, lost his second wife, he was, of course, too heartbroken, but only a man like him could see the light even through the darkness. In an episode of "The Joy of Painting," aired after Ross lost Jane, his beloved spouse, to cancer in 1992, he shared the most important lesson he learned, both in painting and life, amidst the grief. His heartfelt confession, shared by u/marketbuzz2021 on Reddit, received an outpouring of love on the platform.

"Absolutely, [you] have to have dark in order to have light," Ross said while painting a beautiful landscape. "You have light on light, you have nothing; if you have dark on dark, you basically have nothing," he added, which initially looked like he was explaining just some basic rules of painting. But as Ross continued, he explained that this profound reality applies in life, too. He shared, "[You have] got to have a little sadness once in a while, so you know when the good times come." Ross didn't show his tears, but his soft voice spoke volumes about his pain. "I am waiting for the good times now," he said, hinting at how, after Jane's demise — an undoubtedly devastating phase — he was still hopeful about a positive future.

Grieving is very personal, and everyone has a different way to mourn a loss. While some struggle to move in, others cope with it with relative ease, just like Bob Ross, but again, there isn't any one right way to grieve. "People often believe they should feel a certain way, but such 'shoulds' can lead to feeling badly about feeling badly. It’s hugely important to give yourself permission to grieve and allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling, Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, a psychologist, shared with News in Health.

Echoing the sentiments, u/artinthecloset commented, "If it wasn't for this man, I would have never survived my childhood. I miss him with every fiber of my being. He was like the parent I never had. So much wisdom delivered with a kind and soothing voice." u/eldoran89, shared, "'Waiting on the good times now,' actually broke me. Gosh, I wish I had a tenth of his mental strength, and I would be able to cope with my f****** depression." u/plugsbuttuglystuff revealed, "I was lucky enough to have a few teachers during my schooling who had a similar energy. The world had its ups and downs, and they didn’t pretend those things didn’t affect them, but they made damn sure it didn’t change how they affected us."

Similarly, a user who goes by u/madjackhavok on Reddit said, "This man right here is the king of positive male role models. He earned respect through his gentle kindness to all humans and creatures, and a soft voice that never commanded your attention but encouraged it. And like he always knows what you need to hear. I often still find comfort in his videos; he’s the best anxiety relief in the world." On the other hand, u/thecoopx commented, "It's not an easy thing to listen to, ya know? Someone who went out of their way for decades to make people happy and give them reasons to smile can be heard fighting to keep their own smile for others as they battle with what life threw at them."