The gift of grief

Grief.  It is complex and simple, overwhelming and steadying. It feels foreign and familiar, isolated and connected. It can cause great pain and a sense of relief. It can make us angry, sad, resentful, and pliable, sentimental, accepting. It can come in stages, or all at once, or both. It can come in great waves that totally knock us off our feet, and in a slow rising tsunami that little by little overtakes and tries to drown us. And how long it lasts? Well, I don't think it every really goes away. We just get better at managing it and living with it.

 Causes of grief can be many, loss of life, human or animal. Loss of freedom. Loss of the life you thought you would have. Loss of a job. Loss of health, both mental and physical. Loss or change of beliefs. Loss of friendships. Or even just change can bring on the stages of and a sense of grief. The one thing it all has in common is the loss. Grief can be a teacher, a harsh one, but if given the opportunity we can learn and grow from it.   It  can be a gift, maybe the kind you want to return, but a gift nonetheless. It is usually unwanted, but often needed.

It is the gift of grief that I have been thinking about the last few days. For grief reminds us that something precious has been lost, or changed. It helps us to think about why we feel the sense of loss that we do, and usually it is due to the fact that we have lost something precious, that in some cases may not ever be the same. At least not until eternity. 

The thing that I find encouraging about grief is that we are not alone. God walks with us through "the valley of the shadow". I am grateful for that. For no matter what the reason for the grief, knowing that my savoir walks with me makes it bearable. And gives  me hope.