Grief is...

Grief is unexpected. 

You can never be prepared to handle grief. It comes sudden for some, and for others is looms in the shadows; creeping in slowly. However it arrives, it is never welcome. 

Grief is physical.

 It is not just the emotion of intense sadness...it actually physically hurts. It feels like a ton of bricks pushing down on your chest. It feels like the moment you lost your child at the park, but it never goes away. It feels like a nightmare, but it is real life. 

Grief is to be endured. 

There are no short cuts. You can't go around, under or over grief. It is there, like an unwelcome guest, that will never go away. Grief cannot be escaped. 

Grief is lonely. 

There are thousands of books, talks, and suggestions...but none just for you. Grief is personal, individual and different for everyone. No one has lost what you have. You can grieve along side someone, but there is no sharing your portion of pain or heaviness. 

Grief is love.

 It is because we love so deeply and intense that we then grieve so deeply and intense. The only way to avoid grief is to not love. The love we have for those we have lost, outweighs the grief. Always.