"Grief is a NATURAL response to loss.
It"s both a universal and a completely unique experience.
Grief and loss are part of being human. Grief can accompany a physical death, the end of a relationship, moving homes, changing jobs, growing older, prenatal loss, climate change, the end of a dream, deep spiritual healing (rebirth), and any significant times of change.
Grief is common in our world but we are taught to do it in private and to hurriedly "move on". We are expected to "get over it" quickly and to return to life as it was, but there is no such thing.
The thing about grief is that it is not a problem to solve. Grief has the power to reveal us. Grief is not in the way of life, it is an essential part of living and honoring life. That"s why integrating grief into your life in healthy ways can support a vibrant and free life. By welcoming grief instead of trying to keep it at bay or hidden from others, we can heal deeply and we begin to create safer relationships and communities to support this, as well.
In modern western culture, we have pathologized grief. We have decided what it "should" look like and how long it "should" take. We, as a society, are so uncomfortable with people"s hard emotions and we prioritize "being happy", that we don"t leave a lot of space for sadness and sorrow. Often we don"t know what to say when someone feels these things and we so badly want to help fix it or change it. Our own insecurity around not knowing what to say, what to do, or how to show up can limit our willingness to be present to our grieving loved ones. If we can"t be with our own sorrow and hopelessness, how can we be there for others?"
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