The Healing Journey

September 2, 2023

“While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil.”
– John Taylor

Some experiences are universal. They’re almost like road signs on the highway of life, and they point to our shared humanity. Loss is one such experience. Even though it’s commonplace, it is never common. Each loss is unique in its pain and its dimensions. That means no one can chart a course for grieving on the healing journey for another person to follow.

Loved ones die, forgotten ones die, despised ones die. Even though our reactions may be similar in some ways, they are wildly different in others. No one can tell us where grief will lead us with absolute certainty. We have to experience it on our own in our individual way.

For example, two family members who have known the same person for years may often respond differently to their death.

You may even reach a point where you’re convinced your life is more about losing than gaining, because the older we get, the more our losses seem to accumulate. Friends die, family members leave, our health declines, our mental acuity slows, wealth comes and goes. But life is more than a succession of losses.

How many times have you heard that when someone who suffered a long illness died, their friends were relieved because she was finally free even though they mourned her loss? Or when someone who had a hard life passed away, their friends were convinced she was beginning a better life in eternity. We grieve because they are gone, but we should never discount the possibility that their new life has become much better for them.

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Don’t expect absolute certainties on the healing journey. Follow the path where it takes you and keep an open mind to all possibilities.