There must be something strangely sacred about salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.Kahlil Gibran
Those of us who’ve suffered one or more devastating losses often describe grief as being like the ocean with pain and longing breaking over us in waves. At times, the sadness is overwhelming, and we feel as though we’re drowning. But over time, we learn to float, to keep our head above water. We begin to recognize when the big waves are coming and become better able to deal with them. Although we never escape the sadness, we learn to navigate the waters of grief and move forward into the life we create in the wake of our loss.
During my darkest days, I found that the wisdom and experience of other grievers helped me to re-enter the world. They showed me that life after the death of a beloved was possible, that I could begin to see beauty, find grace and feel hope, even joy. They helped me realize that love was all around me, and all I had to do was lean in.
At Salt Water, our community can help you find your equilibrium and begin to heal after an unbearable loss. As Barbara Kingsolver put it so beautifully in High Tide in Tucson:
What a stroke of luck. What a singular brute feat of outrageous fortune: to be born into citizenship in the animal kingdom. We love and we lose, go back to the start and do it right over again. For every heavy forebrain solemnly cataloguing the facts of a harsh landscape, there’s a rush of intuition behind it crying out: High tide! Time to move out into the glorious debris. Time to take this life for what it is.
We invite you to become part of our community. Share your story, ask a question, make a comment. We’d love to hear from you.
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The Gift Of Grieving
Grieving. You get no credit for grieving, my colleague said. Her mother had died the year before.
Grieving When You’re In Charge
For loss is our common denominator. None of us will escape it … How do we move through struggle and let community hold us when we have been laid low? Elizabeth George
The Story I Told Myself
Life doesn’t come with plots; it’s messy and chaotic; life is one damn inexplicable thing after another. And we can’t have that. We insist on meaning. So we tell stories so that our lives make sense. John Dufresne
Navigating The Aftermath
This life is mine alone. So I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’re never been. Glennon Doyle
Advice from a dead best friend
Put on your shoes and walk in the world,
talking to me. I’m right here with you;
I’m always within reach. It’s a good time
to chat, so go ahead. You’ll know it’s me
when you know it’s me. But even when
you’re not sure, I’m listening.
Walking Through Grief
The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment. Thich Nhat Hanh
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