Beech Tree News Network

Grief is the reaction to loss from such things as death, divorce or job loss, and it’s a process. How long does the process last? I don’t believe we can predict; the length of the process depends on the person.

    Many professionals agree that grief has emotional stages (from five to ten) that people follow when dealing with tragedy; these may occur in mixed order or simultaneously. One model, the seven stages of grief (http://www.recover-from-grief.com/7-stages-of-grief.html), identified the following stages or emotions as common: shock and denial; pain and guilt; anger and bargaining; depression, reflection, and loneliness; the upward turn and adjusting; reconstruction and working through; and acceptance and hope. Following personal loss, bouts of grief and sadness will likely recur – possibly for the rest of one’s life. However, according to the professionals, the final stage is when a person has pulled his or her life back together and reached a new normal.

If we live long enough, we will all experience loss. Many have commented on grief and healing, sharing their understanding:
•    It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. – Rose Kennedy
•    The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it. –Nicholas Sparks, At First Sight
•    Scars are not injuries, Tanner Sack. A scar is a healing. After injury, a scar is what makes you whole. – China Miéville, The Scar
•    The human heart has a way of making itself large again even after it's been broken into a million pieces. – Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County
•    Time didn't heal, but it anesthetized. The human mind could only feel so much. –P.D. James, Innocent Blood

In Matthew 11:28 (NIV) Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And, bit by bit, recovery comes. Although my family still has sad moments, I am thankful that God has allowed us to find a new norm.