Grief is itself a medicine.  ~William Cowper, Charity.

No, grief is not an illness, but it can become a condition. It is not an illness that you can take a pill, but it is a medicine that is healing. A medicine for the heart and soul and yes, even the physical body. The heart we know, and even the physical we are well acquainted. But what about the soul as we consider the will, intellect and emotion. You’ve heard people say, “God rest his soul”. What a gift in the form of grief as we live day-to-day.

You have most likely come to this site because you have a broken heart, or you know someone who is grieving. This is probably the result of the death of a significant person, or an identified loss of another nature in life. We can develop skills that correspond with or reflect emotion, attitude and feelings in a healthy way. This is heart language too. All too easy logic, the language of the mind, will attempt to rule. However, it is important to understand the process as well.

Grief we are experiencing at this time can be increased and intensified by unresolved grief from the past. Christmas can often trigger this as we see the empty chair at the table or experience another crisis. Sometimes we think we are dealing only with the most immediate grief when in fact these feelings are reminding us of people and situations where grief still lies unresolved. It is not always easy to identify accumulative grief – sometimes the image of grapes help. Grief can give you a heavy heart which makes the dull and dreary days of winter seem worse. Some people find February in the northern hemisphere trigger their depression because of lack of sun, grief can become severe.

Begin or continue to work on your grieving process – it may also free up depression, migraines, and stress related conditions. Pray, eat well and delight in your relationships.

Journal your thoughts – you might make important discoveries about your health. 

My thoughts for today,

The Rev. Dr. D.