“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.” — Paulo Coelho
Each year is a transition. We let go of relationships, connections to places, jobs and ways of being. But this opens us to new people, new associations and different ways of relating. Through death or circumstance or choice we move away from those we loved, or cared for, or knew: The unknown, the surprise, the unexpected takes their place. This is life.
Too often the losses weigh us down with a centrifugal sadness that keeps us pinned to the passing. Our energy is invested in the mourning, often for longer than what may be healthy or helpful.
But the loss we experience is directly proportional to the joy and love and engagement we’ve had. We feel the pain because we knew the joy. So the grieving must honor the connection as well.