Talking to Others

A few weeks ago, I joined a grieving support group organized by my local hospice (1). Following COVID protocols, we are meeting online. We are part of this group because we have all lost someone close and dear to us.

Attending these meetings shows very clearly that we all share a deep sense of sorrow. As I write these lines, I can visualize their faces and hear their voices telling stories of love and sacrifice—how much it hurts to lose someone so special, how powerless we feel not being able to prevent the final end from arriving.

I have discovered how amazing these people are. We are similar because we belong to this big family we call humanity: we love, fight, and endure the most severe circumstances encountered along our paths. We all did the same for our loved ones—we fought for life until the bitter end. We were there until the last breath, holding hands, bodies, and souls, fully committed.

Amazingly, we are also different, and that is what makes the world so interesting. Imagine if we were all the same!

By listening to their stories and how they feel today, after many months of finding themselves without the company of that special person, I have learned that we grieve differently and that there is no right or wrong way to navigate these feelings. We honor our loved ones in our own ways. We look to the future knowing that, one way or another, this pain we feel today will take different shapes as we grow older—but it will always be there; the memories cannot be erased.

I admire my newfound comrades for their courage in not stepping away from their destiny; they embraced it the best they could, and they did not quit. It takes guts to stay on one’s path sometimes, even when we want to scream, “Enough—I’ve had enough!” However, my comrades stayed firm. Even joining the support group is an act of courage.

References

Crossroads Hospice Society

Comments

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