“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
Experiencing grief is one of the most difficult things we do during our earthly journey and it hurts deeply. To no longer be able to be with someone we care about causes a sadness that can feel like it will never end. In addition to the mourning we do when someone has passed away, we also mourn other losses, such as no longer being with someone who has ended a relationship with us, having a pet die, and other kinds of endings over which we do not have control.
We sometimes try to avoid the pain caused by grief. We might tell ourselves things like that’s just how life is, we shouldn’t be sad, we should get over it and move on, etc. And even worse, sometimes other people tell the grieving person such things when what that person needs most is someone who will be present with them, listen, and have empathy for what the person is going through. As tempting as it is to try to avoid the emotional pain, we must not do that. Grieving is a natural process. It is through accepting the sadness and ache that emotional healing happens.
Although we are all unique and grieve in our own ways, with varying degrees of intensity and length of time, grief usually decreases over time. As it does, we will begin to experience something different, such as memories of that person or pet and of how special they were, things we learned from them, and a sense of gratitude for them having been a part of our lives. We will be comforted.