generosity of presence

Grief sometimes feels like a struggle for clarity. 

Emotions run rampant and  questions overwhelm . . . all in a body that stays exhausted from the sheer effort to breathe. 

Gunilla Norris writes in her beautiful book of reflections, Sheltered in the Heart,

“Understanding the issues we each grapple with, we help each other gain clarity.  No problems are solved until they are identified.  No goals are reached until they are named.  Within a relationship of trust and love we have the assurance of honesty and the generosity of presence that helps us sort things out.  . . . as we clarify,  there is a sifting that goes on – a bit like using a sieve at the beach.  There is always so much extraneous stuff that must pass through for us to be able to see the stones that block the flow . . . together we can let the sand run and see what remains. . . . making clear what belongs to us to deal with.”

And therein lies the power of support groups . . . relationships that patiently offer the safety we need to emerge from the fog of grief.