February 25, 2024
“There’s nothing more frightening — and exciting — than getting lost in a forest. There is a journey towards the light, but you’ve got to go through the dark to get to the light.”
— David Farr
The forest is a universal symbol found in folklore, fantasy, mythology and even Harry Potter novels. It represents the unknown, where the unexpected can happen. It is a place of danger and discovery.
Do you remember those fairy tales that had enchanted and forbidden forests, and there was no way around them? The hero had to go through them to reach the other side and find fulfillment and success, not to mention what they often called the state of “happily ever after.”
In many ways, grief is like that. You might stand at the entrance of the forest and delay stepping forward because you don’t know what lies ahead, you’re afraid, you’re anxious and you’re apprehensive. But doing nothing isn’t the proper response because the answer you seek lies on the other side.
The solution is to start moving forward into the unknown, which you fear.
It’s the same with your healing journey, which will take you through the unknown, through the forest where you will have to confront your pain and a new reality after suffering a profound loss.
You will be sad, you may be depressed, you will be lonely. You will feel regret, anger and inadequacy. But you have to face these emotions. There are no assurances of what you will find, but the journey will change you, and you won’t be the same person who went in when you come out.
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