There are times in life when multiple “griefs” collide producing a blizzard of complex emotions. It becomes difficult to sort through the feelings; one grief touches another and some days we feel like dominos tumbling out of control. It is in the stories of patients and families, friends and colleagues; a difficult diagnosis following a recent family death, topped with any daily newsfeed event. Today there was another school shooting; I was surprised how numb I felt at the news. These grief blizzards impact us and if we are unable to release, complex grief can form an obstruction to joy in our soul.
For some of us, this has been one such week. We have experienced loss on loss. Parents, friends, colleagues passing into the light of forever. Hopes and dreams taking a violent shift into the darkness. Denial, anger, bargaining arrive, tears flow and for some of us grief shows up as stunned silence.
This morning in the pre-dawn haze, the gray low lying clouds surrounded the valley where I walk offering a comforting embrace. The weighted gravity blanket of new snow holds us in our collective grief and anxiety. It certainly appears Mother Nature knows how to begin the healing.
As you move through these days, be mindful to care for yourself, for each other. Plato’s wisdom reminds us, even if we are not in a personal blizzard, others around us might be. We can chose to be intentional and be kind. Let’s remember to breathe in compassion for our self. Then breathe out compassion for those around us.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ~ Plato
Peace on the journey,
Andrea
Andrea Tatley 