DEATH AND GRIEF
I was deep in the kind of heartbreak that I now know is on the required curriculum for that stage of adulthood but that seemed, in the moment, life-ending and completely unique to me.
Lena Dunham • Why I Broke Up with New York
Grief isn’t productive but it takes a lot of stamina.
What goes together hand in hand.
I think in the geography of our lives there are these blank or foggy spaces, little absences left behind from the people that have moved in and out of our lives. I think of parks, and imprints left behind by people in grass; footprints, or the long flat indents left over by bodies when they’re sprawled out on the ground. When a person stands up fro... See more
love is sad, heartbreaking, but beautiful
For instance, correspondence (letter writing/imaginal written dialogues) with the deceased has been accredited as one of the most impactful ways to deal with grief along with guided imaginal conversations (e.g., a psychological encounter with the deceased to allow the mourner to repair and rework the relationship with them). Moreover, telling stori... See more
Robert Neimeyer • The
Apart from losing social connectedness with the deceased, the majority of mourners lose social connectedness either with their family or friends/social circle, due to difficulty accepting the loss, and try and adapt to a new reality without the deceased and everything they represented (i.e. common daily activities carried out together, common targe... See more
The
Death is pushed to the margins in modern life. There is much drama about the funeral, but this often remains external and superficial. Our consumerist society has lost the sense of ritual and wisdom necessary to acknowledge this rite of passage. The person who has entered the voyage of death needs more in-depth care.
John O'Donohue • Anam Cara: 25th Anniversary Edition
Grief, as I understood it—grief and I were acquainted—is the kind of loss that sets you on fire as you struggle to put it out.
Elizabeth McCracken • The Hero of This Book
Grief is not an illness to cure or a disease to overcome. Mourning is an inherent aspect of wellness, as long as mortality defines our existence.
Amy Wright Glenn • Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go
Grief is a giant neon sign, protruding through everything, pointing everywhere, broadcasting loudly, “Love was here.” In the finer print, quietly, “Love still is.”