We are physical beings,
and as physical beings we understand the touch, smell, taste, and visual world
by those measures. When we lose a loved one to death we grieve these physical
losses of our loved one as if we have lost a measure of ourselves.
I think grief has as much
to do with accepting death as it does anything else. I think we, as mortal
beings, need to learn how to accept this loss both in the physical and spiritual
sense. Part of acceptance has to do with how we understand our faith and what
our faith tells us. When we or our loved ones pass away we are told, in our
faith, there is no pain, no crying of tears, nor suffering by our loved ones. (Rev;
7: 16-17, Rev: 21: 4a).
I think if we truly believe this teaching it can
have a comforting effect on our grieving.
I think also we need to
understand that there’s a difference between letting go and forgetting. When we
say we are letting go it has to do with the physical presence of our loved ones.
We will keep our loved ones with us by our memories and the stories we share
with others. As we remember them through these stories our minds recreate the
sights, smells and sounds associated with our loved ones.
If we accept the loss of
our loved ones and equally accept the understanding of our faith, I believe we
can lessen the pain of grief and the time it takes to go through the process of
our grief. By not accepting that our loved one has indeed passed away, by
holding on to the physical sights, smells and sounds associated with our loved
one, we grieve all the longer and all the harder and all the more intensely. This
is not to suggest that this is a simple thing to do, it is not. However, by
understanding our faith we can more easily and perhaps with less pain let go of
the physical presence of our loved ones. While never forgetting our memories of
them and realizing their new place with God can help us in our life’s many
transitions.
Related posts;
Grief, what’s so good about it? -
Scripture is from the
NABRE:
Rev. 7: 16-17: They will not hunger or thirst
anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. Thor the Lamb who is in the
center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving
water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Rev. 21: 4a; “He will wipe every tear from their
eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,”
by David E. Gonzales
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