April Showers, May Memories: Navigating Grief in a Season of Growth
- westshorewellnessl
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
When new life blooms in spring, other seasons are shed and left behind. Grief can be like the seasons, coming and going as it pleases. Sometimes grief comes in waves, sometimes in storms, and even blizzards. Grief can appear loud like a lion or quiet like a lamb just like March. Then, pouring down rain in April. As the year goes on summer comes around and everything feels better, and suddenly grief creeps in feeling dark and cold. We can look back at the other seasons in the past and remember what the world looked like before with different people in a different time that is now just a memory. Somehow the world keeps turning, life still goes on, and people keep moving forward. How can that be?
With time comes the infamous five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Although, these stages don’t always happen in the same order and not everyone experiences each stage of grief. Sometimes grief begins before the loss, known as anticipatory grief. Other times the opportunity to grieve appropriately can be robbed from us, known as disenfranchised grief. This may have happened during COVID-19 when loved ones were prohibited from quality time with others. Additionally, it’s important to know that the grieving process does not only apply to the death of a loved one. Grief can occur during any life transition such as the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, moving to a new school, or losing a sense of self.
Yet, it’s important to acknowledge other aspects of life during times of grief. Grief comes in waves, but so does happiness. The standard to be happy all the time is not realistic, which is why positive emotions also come in waves. Joy comes in waves, excitement comes in waves, and gratitude comes in waves. At the same time, what can we gain from grief and how can we grow? During times of grief, are we also learning how to love others? This is the time when social support comes together, family and friends let go of their differences, and we realize what is most important to us in life. Maybe that’s unconditional love, forgiveness, or changing perspectives on the meaning of life. Maybe it’s the realization that grief is also so painfully beautiful because we realize how capable we are of feeling passion and love. The seasons can feel cold and ugly, but they can also evolve into a season that is beautiful.
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