Grief and love are planted from the same seed. We long to find that one true love that makes our hearts skip a beat. Eventually, when we find love, we integrate it into our lives. We lean into love and embrace the joy that it brings. We take vows “Till Death Do Us Apart” and promise to hold love sacred. Then the unthinkable happens our spouse dies, leaving us drowning in the sea of sorrow.

After the death of my husband, I tried to bury the pain. I tried to dismiss the pain by staying busy. I tried to pray the pain away. I even tried to pretend that my husband was on an extended vacation (I know that was a bit extreme).

All of my antics worked for a while until the weight of grief came crashing down on me. I finally realized in year two that I had to lean into grief. No matter how afraid I was to face my emotions, I finally had to unleash the grief I had bottled up and tucked away in my subconscious mind. As I leaned into grief, I listened to it and realized it was intertwined with love. It was then that I began to take the first step toward rebalancing my life.

It takes time, but you will learn to lean into grief.

By the Indomitable Widow