Honor grief & its sanctity

June 21, 2017

honor-griefOne of my customers at A Healing Spirit described sitting in her garden with her copy of A Guided Journal through Grief and connecting with her feelings about her loved one, who passed not too long ago.

That’s exactly how I hoped the books would be used: sitting quietly in a beautiful place, connecting with the energy of a loved one who has crossed over by meditation, visualization or even just plain thinking.

And then, responding to the prompts by writing, drawing or even making a little collage.

“It beats just crying,” she said to me. “It’s important to honor grief, because loss is not only sad, but sacred.”

I’m a fan of tears. They’re cleansing. And I can’t tell you the number of tears I shed as I went through the exercises in the journal, myself.  But being able to find an outlet for those tears by writing or creating brought my thoughts of my loved one to a whole new level. And I think that’s what she meant when she said “just crying.”  That working through the journal a little at a time provided a place for her grief. A safe place. And one that honored her loved one.

Summer is here. It’s a perfect time to spend some quiet time out in nature.  If you’re grieving the loss of someone special in your life, why not consider taking the Guided Journal Through Grief out to your yard or garden and making that connection. Working through your emotions in this safe place. See all our grief support offerings at A Healing Spirit.

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36 comments on “Honor grief & its sanctity
  1. Robin rue says:

    I lost my mom recently and have been spending A LOT of time reflecting. It’s sad, but help me a lot.

  2. The one thing I realized about a loved one passing is the finality of it all, they are not coming back. I think being outside on a nice summer day is very uplifting.

  3. Sarah says:

    Touching post, loved how much it helped them. I agree that it’s not only sad, but sacred.

  4. I think this might be the sweetest thing I’ve ever read. I have never heard it put like that before.

  5. Bill Sweeney says:

    I love all of your posts, but this one was the most touching by far. I think the idea of honoring grief is something we should all embrace.

  6. Myrah Duque says:

    Lovely post. I agree that it is important to honor grief. Spending time reflecting helps, it did for me when both my parents passed away a day apart.

  7. Myrah Duque says:

    Blogging really has great benefits. So happy it has also helped you.

  8. Klaudia says:

    Unfortunately we also have to deal with grief , recently itjust seems to end.As you get to a certain age, it’s inevitable as your parents and some of your friends will go. But this is all part of life. When we lost our 26 yr old son due to an accident, no illness, no warning … from one second to the next one your whole life is upside down… It is now 8 years and it still feels like yesterday. I often grab my doggy and go outside, then we just sit and watch the sunset … People say ‘time heals’ ; time heals just nothing. You just learn to live with the pain.

  9. Pam Wattenbarger says:

    Crying can be cathartic but it also helps you with grief if you’re actively trying to process it. A guided journal is a good way to do that.

  10. This is such a simple and simply beautiful post, Carol. Everyone experiences grief at some point and, yes, it needs to be honored and respected.

  11. This sounds like a lovely way to deal with loss. Tears certainly help but you journal provides a more complete cathartic option. Something we all can use… more than once in a lifetime, unfortunately. Thank you for creating and sharing.

  12. Valerie Gray says:

    It’s interesting to see how each person reacts to grief. I usually start off with shutting everything down and just going through the actions. It will finally hit me and then I will cry for quite a while. Once I get past that initial point I start to figure out how to make it through the grief. I love this post it’s wonderful.

  13. Tammy says:

    Loss IS sacred. Thank you for that! I’ve had my share, and quite frankly it can stop any time now.Goodbyes are never easy, but the permanent ones sting for a very, very long time. Tears have been a gift to me. I let them flow freely these days, compared to the many times I would attempt to stifle the grief. The sorry, the emptiness, the hurting…its all just love playing itself out when it has no place else to go.

  14. Lisa Favre says:

    Summer is definitely the time to spend with nature. I celebrated the first day of the season outdoors all day at the park! It felt fantastic!

  15. Linda Hobden says:

    I’m grieving the loss of my father and a friend is losing her battle with cancer at the moment too – I relish the warmer weather so I can sit outside amidst nature & think ???? I am appreciating your posts & advice, Carol ????

  16. Everyone experiences grief differently don’t they Carol. Your Guided Journal sounds very helpful so I’ve shared on ST60 & Beyond Facebook page.

  17. Jennifer says:

    Writing is definitely how I deal with loss. It helps so much, even if I’m smudging the ink as I go.

  18. This is sounds like a helpful way to reflect on a lost loved one. It is important that we take our time to grieve and accept the loss. A guided journal would be very helpful.

  19. Rachee says:

    I am mourning the loss of lifestyle after a recent diagnosis and this book sounds like a good way to deal. I could check out the prompts while enjoying and being one with nature. Love it!

  20. Stacey W says:

    Honoring grief is such a heartfelt journey. Thank you for creating an outlet to help.

  21. Czjai says:

    It’s okay to cry, grieve, release your sadness or frustration. Crying can be very therapeutic, as far as I’m concerned.

  22. GiGi Eats says:

    Unfortunately – in Los Angeles, spending time outside in natural (without being disturbed) is a rarity. I am still searching for a pristine and calm spot to retreat to once in awhile…

  23. Amanda Love says:

    Good to see how much your products are helping people. It’s definitely better to have these by your side as you try to move on from a loss. It’s just beautiful, Carol.

  24. I have heard (from my husband’s karate background) that if one keeps oneself full of joy, there is no weakness for death to enter.

    I am a believer in controlling one’s thoughts and staying upbeat.
    Honor the grief sounds right to me…recognize it and then let it go.
    Thanks for your thoughtful article!

  25. Wendy Polisi says:

    I would have to agree, tears seem to flush the system of doubt and fear. They rinse away uncertainty and it feels like it opens up places that were walled off.

  26. Kelly R says:

    I love this post and I wish when I lost my parents that I had this journal. Tears do help cleanse you.

  27. Annemarie LeBlanc says:

    How touching! Crying is not a sign of weakness. For me, it is a sign that we have real feelings longing to be expressed. Loss and grief is part of a universal plan that we cannot avoid. A guided journal would really help us with the healing process.

  28. Our Family World says:

    Grief and mourning is something we have to experience as we go through life. It is a long process but as long as we are surrounded by a loving family, we will overcome it. A guided journal keeps us in touch with those feelings and would help with the healing process.

  29. Angela Milnes says:

    I love to have a vacation to a quiet place and cry for all my problems and after that I might be okay

  30. Kelly says:

    I love what your client said about grief being sacred. I couldn’t agree more! It is a process that must be respected and given the time it needs!

  31. Tiara Wilson says:

    This was such a beautiful read. It touched me, because I agree 100%. Griefing is sacred. It means that you need to give those who are griefing some time to grief. Respect them and know that they will be ready to talk when the time comes.

  32. Silly Mummy says:

    That’s lovely. I agree – reflection and tears are important.

  33. Kiwi says:

    I lost my very close uncle to me last month and I am still grieving. I am not crying as much because I know it was for the better since he was sick but I did cry and I did feel like it cleansed me within to be ok with his passing.

  34. Elizabeth O says:

    We all come to grief and morning differently. One thing that remains clear to me is that it takes time and ought to be respected not rushed. I never understand those who wonder why X is “still” grieving… What a ridiculous thing to say. We take as long as we need and we choose how we will work through it too.

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