Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Grief

Funny thing, Grief. It has a way of showing up at the most unexpected times. This may surprise you because we have neat little categories where grief is acceptable and even have colors to define it, unspoken rules about how long it should show up and when it should appropriately depart. The departure is expected to make room for the arrival of the happy face. Who knew there were so many rules to grief. There are ages and stages and signs and denials. I wonder who wrote the rules? After reading Mike Cope's blog about Chris, it forces you to see their pain for Megan and Janzen and the other precious family and friends they have said goodbye to. It has brought me to my own grief over the loss of parents, friends, family. I guess what I love most about grief is that you don't have to follow the rules, most of them anyway. The only real rule I would follow is that you need to feel it. Go where it hurts, allow it to almost overtake you at times. Completely immerse yourself in it for awhile. If you do, it makes living joyfully so much easier. I think that is a rule for living. When you are real and honest joy is real and honest!