I read the description of grief as a stone that we carry with us after the loss of someone we love and think it to be profoundly true.
Though our lives go on after loss, anyone who grieves the loss of someone they love knows there will always be a stone of grief we carry, but, may we not cultivate a "heart of stone," which would surely be too great a stone to bear. A stone in my pocket I can bear, a heart of stone and despair I could not bear. How about you?
Grief is Like Carrying a Stone in Your Pocket
“The best way I can describe grief as the years go by is to say it’s similar to carrying a stone in your pocket. When you walk, the stone brushes against your skin. You feel it. You always feel it. But depending on the way you stand or the way your body moves, the smooth edges might barely graze your body.
Sometimes you lean the wrong way or you turn too quickly and a sharp edge pokes you. Your eyes water and you rub your wound, but you have to keep going because not everyone knows about your stone, or if they do, they don’t realize it can still bring this much pain.
There are days you are simply happy now, smiling comes easy and you laugh without thinking. You slap your leg during that laughter and you feel your stone and aren’t sure whether you should be laughing still. The stone still hurts.
Once in a while you can’t take your hand off that stone. You run it over your fingers and roll it in your palm and are so preoccupied by its weight, you forget things like your car keys and home address. You try to leave it alone, but you just can’t. You want to take a nap, but it’s been so many years since you’ve called in “sad” you’re not sure anyone would understand anymore or if they ever did.
But, most days you can take your hand in and out of your pocket, feel your stone and even smile at its unwavering presence. You’ve accepted this stone as your own, crossing your hands over it, saying “mine,” as children do.
You rest more peacefully than you once did, you’ve learned to move forward the best you can. Some days you want to show the world what a beautiful memory you’re holding. But most days you twirl it through your fingers, smile and look to the sky. You squeeze your hands together and hope you are living in a way that honors the missing piece you carry, until your arms are full again.”
Written by
Jessica Watson ~ Four Plus An Angel
Though our lives go on after loss, anyone who grieves the loss of someone they love knows there will always be a stone of grief we carry, but, may we not cultivate a "heart of stone," which would surely be too great a stone to bear. A stone in my pocket I can bear, a heart of stone and despair I could not bear. How about you?
Grief is Like Carrying a Stone in Your Pocket
“The best way I can describe grief as the years go by is to say it’s similar to carrying a stone in your pocket. When you walk, the stone brushes against your skin. You feel it. You always feel it. But depending on the way you stand or the way your body moves, the smooth edges might barely graze your body.
Sometimes you lean the wrong way or you turn too quickly and a sharp edge pokes you. Your eyes water and you rub your wound, but you have to keep going because not everyone knows about your stone, or if they do, they don’t realize it can still bring this much pain.
There are days you are simply happy now, smiling comes easy and you laugh without thinking. You slap your leg during that laughter and you feel your stone and aren’t sure whether you should be laughing still. The stone still hurts.
Once in a while you can’t take your hand off that stone. You run it over your fingers and roll it in your palm and are so preoccupied by its weight, you forget things like your car keys and home address. You try to leave it alone, but you just can’t. You want to take a nap, but it’s been so many years since you’ve called in “sad” you’re not sure anyone would understand anymore or if they ever did.
But, most days you can take your hand in and out of your pocket, feel your stone and even smile at its unwavering presence. You’ve accepted this stone as your own, crossing your hands over it, saying “mine,” as children do.
You rest more peacefully than you once did, you’ve learned to move forward the best you can. Some days you want to show the world what a beautiful memory you’re holding. But most days you twirl it through your fingers, smile and look to the sky. You squeeze your hands together and hope you are living in a way that honors the missing piece you carry, until your arms are full again.”
Written by
Jessica Watson ~ Four Plus An Angel
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