Good Grief!

Dear Grief,

You take me by surprise...as though I'm completely unaware that you're following me...and turn my day upside down. You remind me of what I've lost. You bring floods of emotion which pour through my eyes and stream down my face. You show me life ~ the cycle of life ~ and remind me of what else I might loose one day. Yet somehow, swirling around the despair, you bring me strength. You invite me to remember the good times, the words of encouragement and praise, the unconditional love, the deep connection. You encourage me to move forward. You shout, "LOVE! LOVE YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR HUSBAND, YOUR MOTHER..." because we know how quickly time passes and that nothing is forever. You throw me from my comfortable place into a world both scary and true: the present. Live in the present. Maybe, dear grief, you bring a gift with you. A gift which reminds us of how precious each one is, how fleeting the moment shall be, and that we must appreciate it now.

And with that, I bid farewell. I am off to PLAY!

~kristen