What Losing a Loved One Can Teach Us About Living
Grief is a complex journey. It is a process neither linear nor easy. If you’ve experienced loss, there are many helpful resources and professionals that can support your process. But you know there is no getting over or forgetting about the one you’re grieving. Rather, there is life beyond their existence, a life marked by deep love and deep loss.
Because, like love, the experience of loss expands who we are and leaves a lasting mark.
At the beginning of summer break, I was hit with the painful and vaguely familiar state of profound grief. It is a feeling I dread, and yet I understand it is inescapable for someone who loves deeply and travels a human journey. It started with a shocking phone call that set off a 24-hour nightmare and, ultimately, a life forever changed once more.
My beautiful, vibrant 40-year-old sister-in-law and friend suffered a massive stroke out of nowhere. She left behind two young daughters, a husband, parents, a sister, nieces and nephews, and a great number of close family and friends — whose lives will never be the same.
While the forward motion of life is inevitable, losing someone you love is a lifelong journey. Loss can change how you think and feel and how you view the world before you. It has the potential to open your heart to the blessings around you…
