“The greater the love, the deeper the sorrow—and the longer it will take to work through it. That’s the deal.” -C. S. Lewis Life-death-rebirth transitions are passages which bring about physical, emotional, and spiritual maturation. Many of us have difficulty accepting or moving through loss of any kind— let alone the kind that unravels us to our core, and challenges us to find the spiritual strength to live in the midst of such devastating pain. Learning how to lean into such pain and let go in a positive way creates new space for healing and a renewed sense of your life. As the Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön states, “To live is to be … [Read more...]
Looking at Loss through the Lens of the Soul
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and unspeakable love.” ~ Washington Irving Life-death-rebirth transitions are passages which bring about physical, emotional, and spiritual maturation. Many of us have difficulty accepting or moving through loss of any kind— let alone the kind that unravels us to our core, and challenges us to find the spiritual strength to live in the midst of such devastating pain. During these dark moments of the soul, I find solace in knowing that we are all here for a … [Read more...]
Loss: The Heartbreak and the Sacred Insights
Despite the pain it elicits, loss teaches us about the delicate balance, intensity, and richness of life. We cannot experience the pain of loss without first having experienced the joys associated with what has been lost. In the movie Shadowlands, poet Joy Gresham, in speaking about her impending death to author C. S. Lewis, expresses, “The greater the love, the deeper the sorrow and the longer it will take to work through it. That’s the deal.” The heartbreak that wounds us most deeply eventually leads us to greater enlightenment, blessing our lives with a more spiritual depth of life. A few years back I was grieving a friend’s untimely … [Read more...]
Blessing and Releasing: A Mantra for Letting Go
“The cure for pain is in the pain.” RumiHere I was walking the beach in Antigua surrounded by such natural beauty, a cherished and connected relationship with my husband and a life that I only imagined in my dreams; yet, I was unraveling, falling apart, and disintegrating into little pieces like the grains of sand I walked upon. For weeks since my beloved dog Cammi’s death, I felt fragile and vulnerable as if my heart was flayed open. The grief felt like an anvil pressing down on my chest. “It was too much pain to feel for my sweet dog,” I thought to myself. So I tried to grieve whenever my busy schedule allowed and then held it together … [Read more...]
