On Grief and Letting Go
Hello friend,
Welcome to October. This month, I’m feeling curious about themes of grief and letting go (aren’t you excited that I didn’t say rest for once?).
This time of year generally carries undertones of death and grief with it. Between the waning light and the falling leaves, it reminds us that everything is temporary, for better and worse. I recently attended a celebration of life for someone who I was close with many years ago. It’s so interesting to mourn someone who had such an impact on you at such a different time in your life. The experience sort of pulled me back to that time and reminded me of my experience of myself back then. It reminded me that life is never linear and always cyclical and that letting go doesn’t have to be so scary when you realize it isn’t permanent. The whole thing felt very comforting to me.
In honour of this season, I’ve collected a few grief-related resources and inspirations for you below. I hope they’ll resonate. If this theme isn’t so relevant to you at present, feel free to save them for a future time when you might need the support, and always always, feel free to share them with a loved one.
One last quick note before I let you peruse what’s below: Season three of my podcast will be launching very soon (like this week or next week-soon)! This would be a great time to subscribe to be sure you don’t miss the launch of the first episode! You can catch me on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, or directly through my website.
Until next month!
Dawned on me.
As a verb, dawn can mean “become clear” or “enter one's consciousness or emotions.” It’s in this spirit that I share with you some of the things that help me get clear in various ways. May it be the same for you, too.
Click through.
Mindfulness Hurts, That’s Why it Works by Arthur C. Brooks via The Atlantic
Facing our most difficult feelings is understandably not a very enticing thing to do, but most anyone who has taken the time to do so can attest to the fact that it is far more effective at solving a problem than avoiding it will be, even if the latter feels easier sometimes. Mindfulness practices increase our tolerance for discomfort and unease. Sadly, it isn’t by focusing on the light and easy that we achieve that broadening of our comfort zone. This article dives deeper into the ways that facing our pain can be a powerful part of our mindfulness practice.
Listen.
Continual Becoming with ALOK via the Finding Our Way Podcast
We are always technically grieving a past version of our selves. The best way to carry that sort of on going grief gracefully is to be as present with and true to our most current self as possible. ALOK is a beautiful soul and speaker. In this episode, they talk a lot about the importance of friendship as a balm for so much of the suffering we take on.
Try.
Documenting Your Memories Offline by Emma Wilkins via The Good Trade
While this article focuses specifically on parents documenting their children’s lives, I’m more and more interested in the topic of privately documenting my memories.
Take In.
"Grief is love with nowhere to land."
- Sharon Salzberg
Meditate.
Grief can be really hard, and yet, it’s trying to help us process loss. This 10 minute meditation, Good Grief, will help you meet the waves of grief with tenderness so that it can move through you and create space for appreciation, and eventually, joy.
Reflect.
Write a letter to a person, place, or thing you’ve lost. Write about what you miss and the impact they had on you. See if you can identify where your grief and gratitude show up in your body.
Link appreciation: Jules Acree, The Good Trade, Jocelyn Glei.
