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.
Never miss an article or podcast! Subscribe here to be notified whenever new content is posted to Salt Water.
Grief Is Like An Overloaded Backpack
Early on, I really did not like to go out in the world or to socialize. This was tricky in my marriage because Trux felt like we should honor Gage’s passion for life and live life to the fullest. I did not care about life and just wanted to join Gage.
Looking Up From Underneath
In the early days, there was lots of anger and the big question — Why? Why do innocent kids have to suffer so much in this world?
When The Rebuilding Begins
I am a mother of two and a licensed clinical social worker. I love hiking, nature, yoga and meditation. Five years ago, my older brother Carlos died from kidney cancer. Since then, I have been on my healing journey to make sense of this identity changing loss.
Inspired By My Daughter
My daughter Emily is the person who inspired me to get out of bed after my son Andrew died. I needed to be the mom she needed and show her how we can keep moving forward and pick up the pieces of our broken lives.
You Survive … If You Choose To
When the thing you fear most actually happens, how do you go on? All my life, I lived in constant anxiety over my fear of losing my children. One night, just two days after burying my mother, I received a phone call informing me that my 25-year-old daughter, Jessica — whom I had just seen the day before — had been found dead in bed that morning.
Ellie Smiles
On November 6, 2010, my eight year old daughter, Eleanor Finola Murphy died. How do you move on? Those early days after her death were a fog.
Sign Up for the Latest News
Featured Post in Sweat
Featured Post in Tears
Featured Post in Sea
