Grief is always triggered by a loss of some sort – losing someone or something we had an attachment to. Grief has different levels and intensities. We grieve a little when a favorite pair of jeans is ruined and we have to throw them away. We grieve a little more when our personal computer crashes and we lose hundreds of cherished photos. Deeper grief comes when a beloved pet dies, a treasured relationship ends, dreams we’ve held for the future evaporate, or when someone we love passes on.

But, as grief and trauma counselor Dr. H Norman Wright tells us, “Loss is not the enemy. Not facing its existence is. Loss is the fuse that triggered the bomb. The loss has irretrievably passed – and now comes the process of dealing with the crater that’s left.

                Grief is neither a problem to be solved nor a problem to be overcome. It is a sacred expression of love…a sacred sorrow. –Dr. Gerald May, M.D.