The Power in Grief … ( 06 / 18 / 2012 )
The Power in Grief … ( 06 / 18 / 2012 )
“ Grief can destroy you , and grief can magnify you . You can decide a relationship was all for nothing if it had to end in death , OR you can realize that every moment of it had more meaning than you dared to recognize at the time ; so much meaning it scared you — scared you so much that you just went through the motions of Caring ; that you just took for granted the love and laughter you shared together ; that you just didn ’ t allow yourself to consider the sacredness of your Connection with the departed .
And yet , when your friend or lover or partner or family member does die — when it ’ s over & done and you ’ re alone without them , you can also begin to see that it wasn ’ t just talking together or watching sunsets together or washing dishes together or playing games together or taking walks together ; that it wasn ’ t just celebrating life ’ s successes together or being concerned together over life ’ s tough times … No — if you pause long enough to step back from your sadness , you will see that it was everything ; that your Connection with them was the very why of life ; every event and every precious moment of it .
And when you do so , you realize in that moment that the answer to the very mystery of your existence is the Love you shared with such folks ( though sometimes imperfectly ) … And when you allow your loss to awaken you to the deeper Beauty of it all — to the sanctity of Life and the Joy of Living – you can ’ t help but let out a deep sigh ; you can ’ t help but allow a huge smile to spread across your face as a most amazing wave of Peace wells up from within you … and you are driven to your knees , not by the weight of your loss , but by a deep & gentle Gratitude for all the times that preceded it …
… and then become inspired to stand up and go forth to honor that greatest of Gifts -- by renewing & cherishing the relationships you still have left .”
( inspired by Dean Koontz )
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