Good Grief

At a point in every human being’s life, the inevitable, unwelcome companion of life, grief, has dealt its hand. They have been left in a sea of emotional turmoil and endless questions. At this moment when a person is experiencing profound loss, finding someone to turn to for solace and understanding can make one feel like an anchor, dragging the rest of the ship to a halt. The lure to let go, get dragged to the floor of the sea until you drown can be overwhelming, and irresistible. Many have drowned. Others clutched and dug their nails on the side of the ship until they bled trying to come to the surface, and survive, if by the hair of their (chinny?) chin. Others chose to ignore their loss and join the crew in popping bottles and getting sailor drunk. A few got dragged by the ship until the water levels evened out and let them float with ease. Many people find the wisdom of the religion offers a beacon of hope, a light in a path that is muddied by bedlam unfathomable. Others find shamans, psychics and other ‘traditional’ alternatives as a way to give their lives meaning without their loved ones. Its an opportune moments for all 'reapers' to leap the souls of the vulnerable.

Truth is, death stumps us all, in the most stupefying way. The scramble for meaning and understanding of ‘what just happened’ is a grasp at straws in the dark, in a shed full of sharp tools. And the dark lingers, oh it lingers.

So, the question really is, how to sojourn the valley of the shadow of death, and eventually come out, Alive.