- Feb 5, 2002
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Grief changes the lens through which you see the world. Everything seems new. But, it isn’t new as in novel and filled with excitement. Nothing is the way you once knew things to be. Like when I moved to Spain and the sun and the sky was just….different…from the Texas sun and sky. The colors seemed a tinge different than the blues of Texas. The clouds seemed to hang a bit higher, like if I were to jump and fly into the air, it would take me a lot longer to get to the top of the dome of our atmosphere.
Those initial days and months after my mom died in May 2021, my eyes could see the world differently, but my heart was not yet ready to fully enter into that new world. After being her caregiver for years as that disease from hell wreaked havoc on her body and the end of her life was filled with indescribable agony and suffering, my heart and soul were drowning in sorrow and pain for what felt like an endless amount of time. The temptation to despair was daily and real.
With substantial grief work, counseling, my invaluable community of girlfriends, CrossFit, and most importantly with Jesus in the Eucharist, a tiny bit of calm has returned. The sorrow and pain haven’t exactly decreased. But, the sorrow and the pain have started coexisting with peace and calm. Sometimes even small experiences of joy.
Like today. This afternoon gave me a chance to sit, well, stand really, and observe a swirling of grief and joyful nostalgia in my heart like two watercolors blending together in my heart. I’m learning how to pause in the moments of daily life and observe them with curiosity.
Continued below.
the-american-catholic.com
Those initial days and months after my mom died in May 2021, my eyes could see the world differently, but my heart was not yet ready to fully enter into that new world. After being her caregiver for years as that disease from hell wreaked havoc on her body and the end of her life was filled with indescribable agony and suffering, my heart and soul were drowning in sorrow and pain for what felt like an endless amount of time. The temptation to despair was daily and real.
With substantial grief work, counseling, my invaluable community of girlfriends, CrossFit, and most importantly with Jesus in the Eucharist, a tiny bit of calm has returned. The sorrow and pain haven’t exactly decreased. But, the sorrow and the pain have started coexisting with peace and calm. Sometimes even small experiences of joy.
Like today. This afternoon gave me a chance to sit, well, stand really, and observe a swirling of grief and joyful nostalgia in my heart like two watercolors blending together in my heart. I’m learning how to pause in the moments of daily life and observe them with curiosity.
Continued below.
The Smell of Christmas – by Elizabeth McClung
By Guest Contributor: Elizabeth McClung Grief changes the lens through which you see the world. Everything seems new. But, it isn’t new as in novel and filled with excitement. Nothing is the way y…
the-american-catholic.com
