Transcending the Oceans of Grief - The Wellness Universe Blog

“Every tear you weep in sorrow is caught by God’s hand and dried by the wings of an angel. Hang in there; you are never alone in sadness.”—Robert Clancy

We will all lose someone dear to us. How will you deal with this loss, the overwhelming grief it brings to your life and those around you? I’ve thought deeply about grief, the effect it has on one’s psyche and the impact it can have on our wellbeing.

I wrote the following passage to describe how I transcended this powerful emotion after losing several close family members—this included, both of my parents, my eighteen-year-old niece due to complications with Type 1 diabetes and a close childhood friend to suicide.

Why were we separated by this ocean of agonizing time? When the angels called for your beauty my body could only fall upon the earth that reclaimed you. I grabbed the sand in anger and it spilled from my fingers as you slipped from my life. Alone in the blackness of a starless night, I could only call upon grief’s dark cloak to cover my shivering soul. Time’s essence passed as an endless sea of sorrow that washed over me. Every unbearable wave that broke upon my shore carried but a few of my tears out to that desolate abyss. When the tempest finally passed, a single light appeared upon the horizon. I wiped the raindrops from my eyes and raised my chin. The rays of this new day gently caressed my cheek. It was love…yes…precious love. It was then I left the comfort of the shore. I waded among the glistening waves. It was then I realized you were swimming in that same great expanse.

Whenever someone informs me that one of their loved ones has passed, I choose to never say the phrase, “sorry for your loss.” I know in my heart their loved one is not lost, quite often it’s the person who’s lost in their grief. I simply say, “Your loved is now found. Know they are wrapped in the greatest love there is in our universe. That kind of love is unending and it can only grow in your heart when you share it with others.”

Grief comes as an uninvited guest in your heart, just don’t allow it to take a permanent residence, for that’s where divine love has made its home. Just like your eyes need a little time to adjust to the darkness before you’ll see any light, your heart will also need time with sorrow before it will see happiness again—this is the beauty of life.

I just take comfort in knowing we are never just a lone island in the sea of life—rather, we’re a beautiful oasis surrounded by an ocean of divine love—now and forever.

Letting go of grief is never about letting go of you loved one. It’s about creating more room in your heart for the love you have for them. If you have great grief, then you must have a very large heart and that heart needs to be filled with this love so you can endlessly share it with everyone.

If you are currently agonizing over the loss of a loved one, I hope with all my heart that this helps you.

Oceans of Grief – Alone in the blackness of a starless night, I could only call upon grief\’s dark cloak to cover my shivering soul. – Robert Clancy

– Robert