Happy Monday! 

Sometimes our busy weeks become busy weekends. Of course, many of our reasonings are legitimate, and some of us thrive on social interaction. There’s also significance in spending time with loved ones and friends. Because we know that we can’t pour from an empty cup, there’s great value in spending part of our free time filling up our reserves. Hopefully, you created space for rest and refreshment over the weekend!

Yesterday was Patriot Day in the U.S. It’s a day we set aside to pray and remember the events of September 11, 2001. With remembrance comes solemnity, thoughtful contemplation, and, often, tears. We shed tears for the unimaginable loss of lives so unnecessarily, and for the incredible void those losses have created.

We need time to grieve, which can cover many types of losses. There’s no right way to experience grief, and we need to allow ourselves time and accept assistance to find our grounding and begin to face the world again on new terms. It’s also a time to shed tears. Some prefer to grieve in private, while others choose to find support among family and friends. The critical choice is to release our pain authentically, even when that means letting tears flow freely.

Washington Irving, an American writer, historian, and diplomat, shared the following thoughts:

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Here are a couple of additional thoughts:

“It’s an honor to be in grief. It’s an honor to feel that much, to have loved that much.” Elizabeth Gilbert

“But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.” Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye hard.” A. A.  Milne – Winne-the-Pooh

Following are some encouragements from Scripture:

“For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.” Job 2:13 (CEV)

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?” Job 16:6 (NKJV)

“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” Psalm 31:9 (NIV)

“If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.” Psalm 34:18 (MSG)

Saying goodbye is tough. It’s true for loss on a grand scale, as with 911, and other national and international events, such as Queen Elizabeth’s passing last week. More difficult still is navigating through personal loss, which requires ample time to experience mourning and to search for some sensibility when we’re feeling lost and depleted.

So saying goodbye is challenging, regardless of the circumstances.

My heart is tender for two friends who lost loved ones last week. May you find your way through the grief. May you discover new support during your journey. And may you uncover new courage to move forward amid your pain.

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda