Grief has come to visit me more than once. It is true what they say, grief does come in waves.
Are waves crashing for you?
Does the ocean feel too deep?
Do you wish to swim your way to the shore?
When grief first arrived, following the death of my lover and best friend Nick, I knew nothing about how to be with the waves of emotion, the shock of death, or the residue of washed up feelings that linger. When grief arrived again, seven months later, with the unexpected death of my father, I not only fought the waves that crashed, I found myself at times feeling like I was drowning.
It took time to learn how to be with grief, how to manage the waves, to swim, and eventually to seek the shore where grief can rest. My recovery was blended with learning tools of spiritual practice and applying creative processes to ease my ouch and heal my heart.
Years later grief arrived for her third visit and her deepest lesson. The crashing tsunami wave of my son, Sage’s death. I questioned, “Would I be able to swim in these waters? Would I ever reach the shore again?”
I fought, I surrendered, I swam, and I found the shore.
In the unpredictable waters of grief I found what I needed to keep my head and heart above the waterline. I can now find my way to shore on the days grief comes crashing in with waves of memory or feelings of loss.
The lessons I have learned in grief and the tools I use to help me swim and seek the shore guide me in helping others to discover how they can navigate the waters of their grief.
