The Transition out of Grief and into Grace is a Journey
For me, I help others because I feel the need to walk them through the same transformation that I experienced. It’s part of being healthy, whole and at peace. It’s being able to rise out of the broken spots. I feel the need to help others transition through those dark places to a graceful spot because I’ve been through that journey.
That’s why I do the work that I do today, and it’s why I wrote Dance With Jesus.
The transition out of grief and into grace is a journey, the edges get softer and the impact gets easier to manage and less frequent over time. In fact, it surprises me now when grief wipes my knees out from underneath me. I’ll give you an example: A couple years ago, somebody asked if we could have the Christmas party for the Sunday school class at my house. I was like, “Sure, I love having that job.” And then they asked a question, “Do you decorate for Christmas?” Tears started rolling down my face, and I said, “No, that’s Kyle’s job.”
There was just a heartbeat of silence, and then they said, “Okay, we’re coming over for Christmas carols and we’ll decorate your house if you’re going to host us.” It turned into a beautiful afternoon.
I think when we share that brokenness with our friends, they can step in and hold our hands and walk with us.
It’s when we try to hide it that we fall into a deeper hole.
We have a group of women who get together every month that have lost children. That collective feel of healing over time is beautiful, they don’t have to say, “I know exactly how you feel” as our stories are different.
It’s hard to know what to offer when we want to be there for others, but you can simply say, “I care and I can’t imagine.” Those are the most healing moments for folks in my book.
Warmly,
Susan B. Mead, Author, Chaplain, Mom
To contact me, check out my website SusanBMead.com and email me, the information is there and readily available for you. I look forward to hearing your story.