Grief–Personal as a Photo

Grief—Personal as a Photo

I’m new to blogging, but I started it as a way to help widows trudge along the grief journey until the trudging turns into a jog. (Yes, it will eventually happen!) And I’ve learned a few things along the way, quite a few as a matter of fact.

I learned shedding buckets of tears doesn’t make you lose weight. I learned time eases grief, but doesn’t erase the memory. I learned people often say unfeeling things because they don’t know better things to say. I learned funeral home directors need to see a good picture of the deceased.

And I also learned it’s true Jell-O salads don’t freeze well. I learned many people say call me if you need anything, and some people come by with work clothes on to find out what you need. Grief teaches you to become an expert about a lot of things you never cared to know.

And just this morning I learned another new thing. It has to do with my new blog that I’m still learning how to manage. I figured out how to upload a picture of me on the homepage. It’s a casual photo taken outdoors, and when I saw it on the screen, I was suddenly embarrassed. Sending a picture of myself out on the internet didn’t feel like a casual thing. It felt personal, like my grief.

Then it occurred to me that if I want to help other women travel the grief journey by telling many of my stories, I should at least let them know what the woman they are talking to looks like. Not young, not beautiful, but real. One who has “been there,” and will “be there” for them.