“There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.”-Washington Irving This will be a difficult week for many. Supporters may encourage grievers to perk up because itContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Sacred Tears”
Category Archives: Meditations
Monday Medtation: Every Day, Grief
Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery’s shadow or reflection: the fact that you don’t merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.-C.S. Lewis The holidayContinueContinue reading “Monday Medtation: Every Day, Grief”
Monday Mediation: Start Simply.
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”-Arthur Ashe A pitfall of life is getting caught up in the race to be more, be ahead of the game, be pushing for the next whatever, be comparing ourselves to the past…essentially occupying any moment other than the present. Grief doesn’t mesh withContinueContinue reading “Monday Mediation: Start Simply.”
Monday Meditation: Tend the Grief Garden
“I always see gardening as an escape, as peace really. If you are angry or troubled, nothing provides the same solace as nurturing the soil.” -Monty Don The work of healing grief can be like growing a garden. Plants and flowers need water, sunlight, and plenty of weeding to grow and thrive. When you first plantContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Tend the Grief Garden”
All Souls Day Meditation
November 2 is All Souls Day or the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), recognized primarily (though not only) in Mexico where it originated, is celebrated October 31 through November 2. November 2 is a day on which Catholics pray that their deceased loved ones and allContinueContinue reading “All Souls Day Meditation”
Monday Meditation: Value & Self-Worth
“Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible–the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.” -Virginia Satir One aspect that may be missing from the grief experience is a feeling of being valued as a personContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Value & Self-Worth”
Monday Meditation: An Act of Creation
“The first thing I tried to do in the months after losing my mother was to write a poem. I found myself turning to poetry in the way so many people do–to make sense of losses. And I wrote pretty bad poems about it. But I did feel that the poem was the only placeContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: An Act of Creation”
Sunday Meditation: “Supermarket Flowers” (Ed Sheeran)
HallelujahYou were an angel in the shape of my mumYou got to see the person I have becomeSpread your wings and I knowThat when God took you back he said HallelujahYou’re home-Ed Sheeran, “Supermarket Flowers” Ed Sheeran wrote “Supermarket Flowers” following the death of his grandmother. The song, written in the first person, reflects theContinueContinue reading “Sunday Meditation: “Supermarket Flowers” (Ed Sheeran)”
Monday Meditation: To Move Forward, Act
“Never mistake motion for action.” -Ernest Hemingway Grievers are often encouraged to “move forward” after a loss. Such societal pressure may leave grievers feeling stalled and stuck if they don’t “move forward” quickly and surely. The result can be a sense of hopelessness, depression, or anxiety that takes root in the griever’s life. Forward motion,ContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: To Move Forward, Act”
Monday Meditation: Strength in Vulnerability
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong in the broken places.”-Ernest Hemingway Two of the greatest fallacies regarding brokenness, I think, are: No one gets broken/hurt by the world–life is always perfect and fairIf we admit to being broken, we are weak–there is nothing to be gained from being broken or healing fromContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Strength in Vulnerability”
Monday Meditation: Make Room for the Funny
“Sometimes in the most tragic situation, something just profoundly funny happens.”-David Hyde Pierce There really isn’t anything funny about grieving…at first glance. In truth, however, life is absurd in all contexts, including loss. The week after my mother’s funeral I got stuck in an elevator at the Metro parking garage on my way to work.ContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Make Room for the Funny”
Meditation Monday: The Hole of Love
“Love is a hole in the heart.”-Ben Hecht We often think of love as something that fulfills us. We love friends, we love family, we love children, we love significant others, we love ourselves. We can even love inanimate objects or experiences. Whatever it is that we love, we assume that love will give usContinueContinue reading “Meditation Monday: The Hole of Love”
Monday Meditation: It’s Gonna Be Work
“Be real with yourself in whatever area of your life and your game that you need improvement on. Once you figure that out, you just have to go out and work on it. For me, it’s footwork. I constantly work on it, and it’s a never-ending process.”-Calvin Johnson (former wide-receiver for the Detroit Lions) NoContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: It’s Gonna Be Work”
Monday Meditation: Give me an “I”
“Improvement begins with I.”-Arnold H. Glasow Grief is overwhelming, and grievers may frequently turn to their grief supporters for help getting through the initial trauma of loss and then healing. Some grief supporters are really great at being there for the griever in their lives, others aren’t as helpful. While being surrounded by amazing supportContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Give me an “I””
Monday Meditation: Fight or Flight
“In boxing, they say it’s the punch you don’t see coming that knocks you out. In the wider world, the reality we ignore or deny is the one that weakens our most impassioned efforts toward improvement.”-Katherine Dunn Grief throws many things at you in fast succession; it is overwhelming. Grievers may barely get a breakContinueContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Fight or Flight”