Part of my daily morning routine is to say the Serenity Prayer and then ask for guidance, before choosing one of Cory Lockhart’s beautiful Cards for Remembering. I shuffle the deck, and then, without looking, I randomly choose a card. More accurately, I should say, the card actually chooses me, and it’s not random.
The morning of the funeral for my badass friend Kristene, I went through this routine with a heavy heart. I felt a bit of a disconnect and was just going through the motions, as I chose one of the cards. When I turned it over and read the message, I suddenly felt reconnected.
I am allowed to grieve.
It was such a simple, straight forward statement that resonated with my head and my heart. I stared at the card, taking it all in, and repeated it to myself over and over again. As the words ran through my mind, the tears ran down my face.
As I mourn the loss of this extraordinary soul, those words have become my personal manifesto, repeated sadly, defiantly, and strongly. I am allowed to grieve!
Along with Kristene’s death, in the past week, I have witnessed a number of friends grieve various losses. The loss of a beloved partner to Alzheimer’s disease. The loss of a dear mother. The loss of a much loved brother. The loss of a loyal, sweet dog. These losses were reminders that we are never alone in our grief.
At any given moment, we are all grieving someone or something. We may not grieve the same things or in the same manner, but we all grieve. It’s the price we pay to live and to love.
Grief comes in waves, and once that wave crashes into us, we are washed out to a sea of emotions. It’s painful, poignant, and messy, and it’s ours. I am allowed to grieve and so are you.
That’s another story. . .
Categories: That's Another Story
That's Another Story 
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