hmmm…..
Liam Neeson spoke out about his wife’s untimely death in the March issue of Esquire Magazine. She was severely injured in a skiing accident in Montreal in March of 2009 and later died. Neeson said that he coped with his grief over her death by “running away to work.” In the magazine article, he said, “It’s easy enough to plan jobs, to plan a lot of work. That’s effective. But that’s the weird thing about grief. You can’t prepare for it. You think you’re gonna cry and get it over with. You make those plans, but they never work.”
I am privileged to officiate at two funerals this week, both of great guys who left amazing widows behind. In each instance, this is the second husband they have buried. The grace and dignity with which they have handled their grief has been inspiring to watch. Both expressed joy over the good times they had with their spouses and their gratitude to God for the lives they shared together. They are also grateful that their spouses no longer suffer from pain.
Sometimes grief smacks you right in the face, though. It’s sneaky; it creeps up on you when you least expect it. You think you are handling it OK, then Bam … a wave of tear filled grief overwhelms you. I say when the grief comes, let it. Cry, wail if you need to, but deal with the feelings as they come. They may not ever completely go away, but in time, if we let them come, they will fade.
hmmm…..
I've found it far too easy to try and hide behind my "pastor face" at the death of good friends, something I've got to learn not to do. All it does is slow the grief process for me.
ReplyDeleteAmen. And grief can come not only with the loss of a loved one, but a job, a home, or other important part of daily life. It's funny but yesterday as I phased out of a volunteer activity in which I've been involved, I actually felt a pang of serious grief...!!! It did pass but the recognition of it did surprise me! It later led to realization of opportunity, but at that moment...hmmmm....
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