Remembering bears a weight of great responsibility and sometimes feels like a constant struggle to do justice to the memory of loved ones and all that they mean(t) to one’s life.
Do we remember with painful grief? Do we seek healing to pay homage to the sanctity of life and those we have lost? Do we find (allow) new happiness in our lives as we journey forward to where loved ones wait for us in God’s time? Do we move forward with some perpetual sadness in our hearts due to painful separations? The truth is you don’t have to pick and choose, because the answer to ALL of those things can be ‘YES.’
Life after loss and remembering is complicated. It is sad and it is joyful. It is painful and it is an opportunity for spiritual growth. It is hopeless and it is hopeful. To paraphrase Mother Teresa, ‘remember anyway.’ Use your pain to help you find spiritual growth in order to give it purpose. Allow your sadness to connect you to hope and to God.
Our beautiful and precious loved ones have died and we cannot change that. But from this very moment forward, what you do with the rest of your own journey is truly up to each of you. There will be more painful grief, and there can be lots of hope and healing, too.
