Grief and gratitude? I would never have thought one could experience both of these together. My Mum’s passing and all the events during and after, have brought me back more deeply into the practice of gratitude. Strange, that despite the sense of loss, I feel an overwhelming gratitude for my life and everything that forms part of it – the good stuff and the imperfect parts.
Grief and Gratitude Are Kindred Souls
Grief and gratitude are kindred souls, each pointing to the beauty of what is transient and given to us by grace.
– Patricia Campbell Carlson
Brené Brown talked of how when our loved ones pass their quirks which probably irritated the hell out of us when they were alive, become the things we remember them for. That’s what I see happening with my memories of my Mum. José and I will talk about her, recall something very irritating that she did or said and smile. Grief turning into gratitude? Perhaps.
Today I’m remembering these things I’m grateful for when I think of my Mum’s life:
- The full life that my Mum lived. At 89, the day before she had a stroke she went to a Ladies’ Club where she was happy to win Rs.50/- at bingo!
- The little things I’ve picked up from her – especially thinking straight during an emergency.
- How she put her talents to use to help others
- Not holding on to things and being over-sentimental
What are you grateful for today?
Join me and other bloggers every Thursday for the #everydaygratitude link up – to share all you are grateful for from the past week.
Discover more from Everyday Gyaan
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Wow, Connie. . . Life gave me similar experiences. Wow for your narration.
When my father in law died, people did so many small kindnesses for our family. I know gratitude and grieving go together in many ways, if we are open to seeing it.
How true! The things which used to irritate us become the things which we fondly remember! Glad to see this feature back on, Corinne. 🙂
Thanks for this Corinne. I think now I will be more aware when my Hubby irritates me with his acts.
Turning to gratitude in times of grief does not come easy. It requires effort if not made a habit. A few days back, when I took a break from blogging, I was not in a good state. I had become hopeless with all the negatives infiltrating my mind space. I tried to turn to grateful thoughts but failed. Now, that I am writing again and am doing okay than earlier, I think I must maintain a gratitude journal and make a note/notes in it every day.
I’m always impressed by how you practice gratitude and for most people, experiencing grief would be the hardest time to practice gratitude. I will take a leaf out of your book for sure