waiting for the dawn

Recently, I had the utter privilege of being in a spectacularly beautiful part of the world with a spectacularly beautiful group of people – most of them strangers to me in the beginning. 

One morning we all made our way to an overlook to watch the sunrise.  One of my new friends sent me this picture of our anticipation and it struck me that the grief journey is so much like this. 

We show up.  Each day, we make the effort – often in the dark - to wait and watch for the light, the hope, the gratitude and the new life (wrapped around our sadness) to dawn. The anticipation that is alive in us may feel small, fragile and only barely able to breathe, but it is the seed of healing germinating in us.  Nurture it.  Protect it.  There is an amazing encouragement and strength available in a circle of souls who want and need to do that together.   

So, if you haven’t found a tangible circle of loving hearts to connect with, I encourage you to keep looking for that. One or two others is a start and the mutual way that hearts are held is irreplaceable comfort and nourishment for the journey. 

Til then, let me do that for and with you . . . distance is only an illusion.