Grief

Hope everyone had a nice weekend, and that you're ready to tackle another week. I hard a good many topics swirling about in my head last night that I 'was' going to write about. Most of them seem very insignificant at this moment. This, after I woke up to the news that a young man, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer Christmas Eve, had died overnight. I only knew this man in passing, but he was a best friend to two of my closest friends.

They are understandably devastated. I feel helpless. I want to stop their hurt. I want to fix this. I want to reverse the clock to Christmas Eve and take away all the pain they've experience since that night. If I could, I'd 'buy' whatever was available to end their agony.

We all know, I can't. No one can.

Of all the life lessons I've learned in the past 20 months, I've come to understand the most about grief. I get very defensive when people try to dismiss it. It's been my experience that those with the least experience in grief, are often the quickest to tell you how to get through it.

I understand 'why' people do that. They can't stand seeing others in pain. The reality is though that UNLESS you feel the pain, UNLESS you go though the dark tunnel of sadness and hopelessness, UNLESS you grieve what you lost, you can't come out on the other side.

On this subject friends, I do happen to know what I'm taking about. I make no apologies for my assertions today.

I will do whatever I can in the next days, weeks, and months to 'be there' for my friends as they mourn their terrible loss, JUST as they were both here for me........when I was inconsolable.