When we haven't experienced intense grief before,
It can feel overwhelming,
Unfamiliar.
We might worry that we're actually losing our mind.
Grief stretches us.
It takes us to new places.
We didn't sign up for this,
And we certainly wouldn't have wished to be here.
And yet,
Here we are.
When we're in the midst of a wave of grief,
It's hard to imagine feeling any other way.
It feels like it will never soften or change.
But if we allow the waves to crash over us,
If we loosen our grip and feel the despair,
The longing,
Something starts to shift.
We might feel a moment of relief,
Of release.
And it might only be a moment.
There might not be many resting places at first.
But if we keep feeling our loss,
That immense love for someone who's no longer here,
We will discover more and more soft places to land.
Help me today to wade into my pain.
Help me to pause in the relief that comes with letting grief in.