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On Monday I got a call that my ex mother in law, my daughter's grandmother, just had a heart attack and they didn't think she was going to make it. Fourty minutes later she was gone.
Although we didn't make it to the hospital in time to say our goodbyes, considering the two hour drive, we arrived within minutes of them removing her body.
For that we are deeply grateful.
As I packed a bag before getting on the highway, my body reverberated, and the quick movement and thinking that people know me for slowed down exponentially. Even if I tried to move faster, my body wouldn't allow me to. This is one of the things that sometimes happen when grief begins to set in.
As I meandered through the day, I went into full support mode for everyone around me and worked in between, at times, still feeling that reverberation. The adrenaline had made me numb, however, to any emotions that were buried within.
On day two although my intention was to continue to support wherever I was needed, I found myself spending the majority of the day alone because, well, no one seemed to "need" me.
It also happened to be my birthday so I decided that at the times when I wasn't supporting others, I would allow myself to meander wherever the spirit took me. One of those places happened to be Asylum Lake Preserves.
The moment I walked into the preserves I could potently feel her presence. She was in the red, yellow, and orange flowers, the white cloud streaks, the birds overhead, the glistening brook water, the dandelion particles that flew in the breeze.
She was even in things that I had never seen at the preserves before, although I had spent time there on countless occasions.
She was ultimately everywhere.
That's when the grief hit me like a brick. As I honored however God/Universe/Source/Creator saw fit for her to reveal herself to me, my emotions poured out of me like a river. And the funny thing is she hated insects so would have never been in a place like this, but she came for me.
Since all living things are interconnected, of course God/Universe/Source/Creator uses nature as a vessel to speak to us, to guide us, to heal us when we're grieving.
All we have to do is show up to experience its power.
If you too, are carrying the heavy load of grief, I invite you to spend some time in nature to help support you. Even just a few minutes of this can do wonders for the soul and psyche as long as you slow yourself down enough to take it all in.
Two of the episodes on our trauma and healing podcast series that just wrapped up, are dedicated to grief and the healing power of nature. Click the links below to access these episodes right now.
Two of the episodes on our trauma and healing podcast series that just wrapped up, are dedicated to grief and the healing power of nature. Click the links below to access these episodes right now.
Honoring Grief to Get Unstuck
Nature's Power to Help the Body Heal Itself
There is also an entire chapter on grief in my book, Me Too: A Therapists' Journey to Heal, Find Liberation, & Joy. Pick up a copy for you and someone you love here.
In the meantime, if you need some 1:1 support to work through your grief, hit your girl up anytime.
Cheers to moving through grief,
Demarra West
Founder
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