“The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief – But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” ~Hilary Stanton Zunin
I offer you today’s quote as a small glimmer of where grief can lead you. A hopeful place and a new found appreciation for having experienced grief in the first place.
Change is constant and unfortunately we can’t escape from grief finding us at some point. But appreciation is possible and an outcome to lean towards. Grief is the teacher of all teachers and what I have learned from grief is that I no longer look at another human being the same way anymore. I just can’t. Grief has changed me.
The pain of loss and the ugliness of grief with all of its heartache and despair, having gone through grief more than once as you may have yourself, I have come to find appreciation. Appreciation for all that is. Realizing that everyone in our life and everything in our life is precious and it matters. Grief teaches this so profoundly. And unless and until you have worn the shoes of grief and walked the floors of grief do you fully understand not to take anything or anyone in life for granted ever again.
As a student of grief, having navigated all the terrain and overwhelm with feelings and emotions, you now become a teacher yourself. And as that teacher you are given a new gift. The gift of more compassion, love and understanding for every person who crosses your path. And with this gift you now have the knowledge that you can share what you know and extend a helping hand. You get it. Grief has touched you in a way that is different from any other lessons you have learned along the way.
And now that you have learned this painful lesson, you are more than equipped to shine a bright beautiful light on grief in a way that will lessen the pain for someone else. You are living proof of someone who has lived through grief and can now help more effectively than someone else can who has not experienced such devastation.
As a student of grief, having navigated all the terrain and overwhelm with feelings and emotions, you now become a teacher yourself. And as that teacher you are given a new gift. The gift of more compassion, love and understanding for every person who crosses your path. And with this gift you now have the knowledge that you can share what you know and extend a helping hand. You get it. Grief has touched you in a way that is different from any other lessons you have learned along the way.
And now that you have learned this painful lesson, you are more than equipped to shine a bright beautiful light on grief in a way that will lessen the pain for someone else. You are living proof of someone who has lived through grief and can now help more effectively than someone else can who has not experienced such devastation.
The thanks and gratitude you will receive in return even by just one person will be well worth all the agony and heartache you have gone through. When you can see the peace and comfort in the face of another wounded soul with their acknowledgement that someone knows how they feel, and understands, you will continue to help yourself.
You can’t know who that person will be who needs your help. It might just be someone close to you that needs you the most. Sharing your grief story and all that you have learned might just change this person’s life in ways you can’t even imagine.
Whenever grief strikes and wherever you might be in your grief journey, I hope you read and re-read today’s quote and allow it to settle inside of you, surrounding you with the light of hope for appreciating all that is.
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