The First Rung: Seeing Grief for What It Is

The First Rung: Seeing Grief for What It Is

In the most basic of terms, grief can be defined as the reaction we experience to a loss, but anyone who has grieved knows that this is a stark definition.

Grief is energy, it is emotion, and it is reaction.

Grief is the anger, the fear, the despair, the sadness, and the aching we feel as we come to terms with death.

Grief can be silent or loud, peaceful or raging, and everything in between. Grieving is a unique experience for each individual every time they encounter it.

Grief is not the enemy and it is not something to be ignored.

Grief tells us that our loss has changed everything and that we need to pay attention to our healing.

One helpful analogy is to parallel death and grieving with receiving a wound. The wound represents the death of a loved one. The blood and pain from the wound represent the grief we experience. The steps we take to clean and heal the wound represent the grieving process and everything we choose to do, or not to do, to see ourselves through this transition.