“But grief is not a force and has no power to hold. You only bear it. Love is what carries you, for it is always there, even in the dark, or most in the dark, but shining out at times like gold stitches in a piece of embroidery.” —Wendell Berry
In one of my earliest memories, I am with my dad, on a bridge over Minnehaha Creek in Minneapolis, Minn. I stand on my tippy toes, leaning against the rail. The water swirls dark and deep. I drop a twig and watch as it is carried away. My dad says, “That stick could travel all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.”
In a season of loss, we may feel submerged in dark swirling waters. Life can feel chaotic and unpredictable, as if we are being carried far to an unknown destination. But Berry says, “Grief is not a force and has no power to hold.” Loss is experienced and endured. It becomes part of us but does not contain us.
We are carried by love, both visible and invisible, in ways known and unknown. In times of unimaginable heartache and darkness, love — both human and divine — is quietly at work in us, bringing us healing and leading us home.
—Chaplain Jenny Schroedel
If you are interested in joining a group, or establishing one at your community, contact Optage Hospice or call Jenny Schroedel at 651-341-7105. Optage is the home and community services division of Presbyterian Homes & Services.