Love
Be NEAR your grief and move toward healing.
“Hell, Madame, is to love no longer.”
(Georges Bernanos)
“Of course we miss the expressions of love from the one we have lost. And our love for that person, too, goes on and on. Where can we put it? We direct it into the air, hoping somehow it will find its target.
Things could be worse! Imagine what it would be like if, in our grieving, not only were we unable to love the one who is gone, but we couldn’t respond with overflowing hearts to the dear ones who come to comfort us.
Music has been called a universal language. Love is another. But it takes constant replenishment, and fortunate are we if our experience has been such that we can be among the replenishers of that love.
As we grieve over our physical separation from our loved one, perhaps we can think of that person and ourselves as surrounded by a love in which the entire creation lives and moves and has its being.”
Set an intention — Perhaps, especially in my sorrow, I can reach out in love to others.
Source: July 27— Daily Meditation from Martha Whitmore Hickman’s book
“Healing After Loss, Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief.”
NOTICE
What thoughts do you notice when you think of sharing or receiving love at this time?
EMOTIONS
How are you feeling now? Grief can bring a mix of emotions that change quickly. If your emotions were a color, what color or colors would best represent your emotions? Imagine sitting with this emotion, allowing the color or colors to soften. It helps to name the emotion you are experiencing. What emotion or emotions are you feeling?
ACTION
Put both feet firmly on the floor. Pay attention to how the floor feels beneath your feet. Press your toes into the floor and lift your heels. Notice the shift in your body and calves as you do this. Next, press your heels onto the floor and lift your toes. What is the difference between these two activities? Alternate pressing your heels and toes into the floor and match your inhale and exhale to the heels and toes. Breathe in deeply allowing your stomach to rise while you lift your toes. Now exhale slowly, press your toes down, and lift your heels. Focus your attention on your feet and breath. This exercise is meant to help you connect with your body and help you to feel more centered or grounded in the present moment. Emotions can feel more tolerable when doing grounding exercises.
REFLECT
How does it feel to think about love during this time of grief? You might experience a jagged emptiness in your heart when thinking about your loss. Grief can understandably cause us to fear loving and then losing love again. Reflect on how living life without fear can impact your life as you do the work to process your grief and loss. How does facing this fear help you move through your loss?
Note: The audio's background music ("Sunbeam") is provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com and images provided by Canva.