In Buddhism, the First Noble Truth acknowledges simply “There is suffering”. This helps us to simply observe and witness things as they are: impermanent, unsatisfactory and not personal. The underlying word dukkha means that ultimately conditions are “incapable of satisfying” Mary Oliver here reminds us to stay with everything in our lives, and in some sense say “It’s OK”, not because it is nice or not painful, but because it is already here. Denial is a failure of attention.

But, listen,
what’s important?
Nothing’s important

except that the great and cruel mystery of the world,
of which this is a part,
not to be denied.

Mary Oliver, Turtle