Seasons – is there a Springtime in Grief?
The older I get, the more familiar I get with the cycles and seasons we all move through. Whether they follow the calendar year or are internal or situational, we can feel confident that things end and new things begin.
I see Fall as the season of dying. Leaves fall away and we watch the glow of summer (the season of life) come to an end. Winter is the season of grief. The cold and dark of winter reenforce the lonely and difficult journey of grief.
But we all know that winter comes to an end. We are living in the blooming & bright evidence of that. So, it begs the question, is there a springtime in grief? I think we can all easily say – we hope so!
Let’s look at what a springtime in grief could look like.
First, it will not be a date on a calendar that you can schedule and look forward to. It will most likely come unexpectedly, slowly, and naturally.
Second, it won’t be constant sunshine and flowers. Spring is turbulent. It shows us growth, stunning days of sunshine, and days that can hold the duality of calm skies and thunderstorms.
Third, you will walk into seasons of growth – particularly after seasons of desolation. If the idea of a “spring” in the midst of your despair sounds repulsive, I want you to remember yourself and that you deserve a balance to the pain and loss with comfort and growth. Your grief will
The duality of grief is moving between the devastation of what’s gone and the dawning of what is to come.
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So, is there a springtime in grief – I think there is. I think it finds everyone differently and slowly – but it does happen. Flowers return to all of our lives. The garden may change, things may grow in new places and never again in others – but your grief can be a fertile ground for beauty, life and connection.
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