Something Larger

Yesterday as I came in the door from the garage I forgot for a moment that my dear cat Gracie was no longer with us. My heart lifted for a moment expecting her to greet me at the door. And then when I realized that no, she wasn’t there to greet me, I felt a wave of grief. Every day I feel as if I am learning something new about the topography of grief. But mostly I realize that grief is teaching me about

and more universal about life. I feel as if I am learning about love through grieving. It’s interesting that as I navigate this new territory that I read and see so many others also talking about grief lately. Here’s something I read just this morning that photographer, Brooke Shaden, posted in Instagram…

I say that grief is teaching me about love because it is on account of having loved someone (I consider my cat Gracie a someone in my life) deeply that I am now grieving. And isn’t it a wonder to be able to have that kind of love in life?

The deeper and richer a relationship is, and the more intertwined someone is in your life, the more that grief becomes a companion when that someone dies. You could call this learning, lessons in love, because that’s what it is you know—lessons in loving deeply, letting go, remembering, and allowing the pain of losing someone you love to be present without trying to change anything. “Whatever it is you are feeling, allow it,” my heart says. My head doesn’t always agree with my heart but more and more my heart wins.

Settle in the here and now.
Reach down into the center
where the world is not spinning
and drink this holy peace.

Feel relief flood into every
cell. Nothing to do. Nothing
to be but what you are already.
Nothing to receive but what
flows effortlessly from the
mystery into form.

Nothing to run from or run
toward. Just this breath,
Awareness knowing itself as
embodiment. Just this breath,
awareness waking up to truth.
― Danna Faulds

There is something comforting to me when I look around and realize that everyone experiences loss and grief in their life. Life would not exist without death. And while losing someone we love is painful, it’s beautiful too, remembering the depth of your love for that someone and treasuring the time you had together even if that time felt far too short.

Do you too, feel like grief takes you to a place of something larger? What can you learn there?

May you walk in beauty.

Note: Photos in today’s post are scenes I noticed on my photo walk Tuesday at French Regional Park.