Keller uses “tears” as a symbol of grief and “vision” as a broader sense of hope, purpose and understanding. Her point is not that sorrow can simply be dismissed, but that suffering becomes more bearable when a person can see beyond the immediate experience of loss towards a larger meaning or future possibility.

In the context of We Bereaved, that vision is closely connected with Keller’s religious beliefs and her conviction that death does not make human relationships meaningless. The statement therefore presents consolation as something that comes from an enlarged perspective rather than from denying pain. More generally, the quote suggests that grief can be met by developing a sense of direction: remembering what remains valuable, recognising possibilities beyond the present moment and placing suffering within a wider understanding of life.