I appreciate everyone's patience as I have been on a bit of a writing hiatus, from all three blogs. now that it is over, here is my first piece...
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I know I can’t be the only one out there who feels like they
are fumbling through life on the fumes of loss… riding the tide of mourning
like a wave at the shore as it comes pouring in and pounds the sand. Well,
lately, that is how things have been in my world. Keeping in mind that this
isn’t a complaint so much as an observation… some of you might know how things
have been for me these past several months I have been on hiatus from blogging.
Life has been a whirl, and I’ve been left a bit dizzy from the spin.
But instead of focusing on the specifics pertinent to what
has been happening I would like to talk today about dealing with, recuperating
from, and learning from the losses we live through. How do YOU, reader, deal
with loss? Do you aim to recuperate, or let it take you under? Do you learn
from your losses, or dwell on them?
I have been known to do all of the above, at varying stages
of grieving. I admit that. Today, I even indulged in emotional eating for the
first time in months because it is a difficult habit to break and I have had so
many losses in the last five weeks, it isn’t even a list that stays on a single
count of fingers. Some are more deeply personal than others. Some are so deeply
personal, only a handful of people will ever know what they were in their
entirety.
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| All photos from WeHeartIt.com Cannoli |
Between the knocks of life, the loss of lives, and the facts
of life, loss can be very difficult sometimes. Maybe, like me, you find
yourself occasionally downing a few cannoli and gyoza to drown out some of the things
you are feeling because you can’t even express what has happened. Whenever you
attempt to write or speak the truth of a loss that is especially deep, you
fumble.
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| Gyoza/ Pot stickers |
What is it about grief that touches us so deeply that we cannot express it? In a painting, in poetry, in a blog... we can diminish and work through times of mourning, but can they really help? I believe so! In fact, being creative is a much more sure-fire way to recuperate, to heal, to learn about ourselves during difficult times than emotional eating, than drugs, alcohol, spending binges, or excesses of other varieties. We can easily tailspin if we are not careful to watch ourselves.
Can creativity alone bring healing? No, but it is a good start - for the Christian as well as the non-follower. For those who believe in God, prayer, meditation, Bible study or reading, fasting, or other means may also be incorporated. There are those who attend therapy; those who take long, ambling walks out in nature; those who seek solitude, or perhaps a crowd. Many things CAN be helpful in our grief; not all are created equal, and not all will work for everyone. Just as our grief is custom-made, so is our healing, though creativity and prayer are two very, very important components that ANYONE would be wise to add to their arsenal of tools.
So, as I journey with my grief into healing; as you do, in your way, we will grow. The direction we grow in, like a tree, depends on both weather and tailoring. As a tree is shaped by the elements and by pruning, our lives are similarly shaped by life's elements (relationships, faith, circumstance, choice, etc.) and chosen as well as natural pruning.
