HUG Corner: Thought for the Week 10/2/17

Healing After Loss (Martha Whitmore Hickman)

“All I know from my own experience is that the more loss we feel the more grateful we should be for whatever it was we had to lose. It means we had something worth grieving for. The ones I’m sorry for are the ones that go through life not even knowing what grief is.”

– Frank O’Connor

“This is cold comfort just now – the thought that we should be grateful we’re not like those poor unfortunates who have never loved anyone this much. Consumed as we are by our grief, we cannot imagine being in such a situation. Perhaps we are a little indignant, too – it’s supposed to make us feel better that there are people infinitely worse off than we?

But we do know that we wouldn’t trade with them – would trade the years we’ve enjoyed the presence of our loved one for freedom from pain – at the cost of never having known this loved person at all. No, that’s not a bargain we ever wanted to strike. What we want is to have our loved one back, in health and safety.

But since that’s not possible, maybe it would temper our grief a little to acknowledge how blessed we are to have had a love that rich. Though the person has gone, the gift that that love has been goes on and on and on.

Saddened as I am by loss, my heart lifts in gratitude for the richness _____ has brought to my life.”