Loss can be very hard...big part of who we are

My dad and still have coffee
He would laugh at this

One therapist shared with me as I was dealing with depression that eventually all therapy deals with loss and leads to the ultimate loss of our own mortality. Loss in life is hard and painful. I read an article today, Running Away From My Grief–Literally By Alicia Sparks 

Alicia has some good ideas, but I believe we should take time to grieve. Getting back into our life will happen but grief will happen and it is normal. We may have an idea of 30 minutes then I will move on. 30 minutes may work for a sitcom but it won't work for grief. I believe it gets in-touch with needed emotions that we need in loss. Grief like love is to be experienced. I can't say I like the experience but I needed it just the same. 

From the Bible death is our enemy because of sin and the fall all experience it. Some may become aged and welcome death but for many death comes to soon. There is an immediate separation between the living and the dead. The desire to have one more conversation, one more cup of tea or coffee. Regret and re-do-over, I wish...all come into play. 

If grief is hard you know you loved the one departed. If grief is not what others experience, know that like every other experience each one is as unique as a finger print, a snow flake. 

Grief has its limits. For the Christian their is hope in eternal life, there is a reunion where we will recognize our love ones and continue our relationship with them. This is called in part the Christian's hope. "To be absent from the body and present with the Lord".

There seems to be a common grace where grief eases up and we are able to move on. We are not alone in this experience and we are comforted by others in their experience with grief. 

Alicia shares nine things which you can look at the link below on how to use running to help your grief. I might add you can use biking, walking, swimming in the same way. 

I few ideas I gleaned was

1. Honor and respect the one lost.  Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor from "The Guards" respects and honors his father's memory. His fathers love of books and love for him makes Jack a very human character you care about. But his mother was harsh and sucked the life out of others. Jack can not respect and honor her loss and it may be that which hooks him into alcohol and prevents him from making intimate connections with loved ones. He can not change who his mother was nor gloss over it. It is the stuff of abuse and betrayal. Honor and respect helps us moved to a good place with those who are gone, but if something happened that hinders us we may need help to forgive or let go the negative impact on our lives. 
2. Talk to your loved ones while you walk or run. Me I talk to my dad when I feel like it and I have a cup of coffee on Saturday mornings in the very kitchen we used to have a cup of java. I think we all talk to our love ones or am I wrong here?
3. Do something for them. In NCIS Gibbs works in a work shop in his basement doing different projects where his lost family memories are kept, his ex partner Mike. I believe working wood is a therapy for him. Tommy McDonald has a work shop program where he keeps a picture of his sister lost early in life. I think there is something to this. Alicia writes about running for your loved one. Doing something with our bodies I think will help us process grief. 

Any way some thoughts I hope you find helpful. Keep walking