Good Grief . . .

In life, we grieve for far more than death. Sometimes, it's the loss of a job, a relationship, health or anything of value that when lost, we feel a void, suffering, distress, pain or sorrow. 

In my life, I have had my share of grief.  Before the age of 21, I had witnessed the deaths of my father and both sets of my grandparents. In my twenties, I lost classmates and an uncle.  In my thirties, I've buried one of my children at the tender age of nine; and lost an aunt and a little over a week ago an another uncle.  I've watched my "King" be severed from one job and on the brink of another severance.  I've watched Princess "Fly Away" chose a path that I wouldn't necessarily have chosen for her and in the process, I've grieved the loss of certain milestones for her, my firstborn.

Grief has its purpose in life, and while it stings, it pushes us to deal with the realities of our situation.  Sometimes, so much is taken for granted and when there's a loss, things are put into perspective.  The things that seemed so important aren't important and things that were taken for granted are then appreciated, even if a little too late. During this process, we learn a little more about who we are and it's then that grief can make us better, for the future.

Good grief doesn't mean we don't hurt, or that there isn't a void.  It just means that we've learned to cope with the loss and learn from it.  Good grief just means that we hold dear the good times and memories and seek to create even more.  Good grief simply means that life goes on and that we chose to live on, even in the absence of that which we've lost.

"Rest in peace," to those that have gone on before me. "Live life to the fullest," to those that continue on with me.