May the faith be with you

 Hello family, 

It’s been a while is said so much on this blog that it’s slowly becoming our tagline. It’s been a while, nonetheless, and I hope that you’ve been keeping well. 

The #lettersto series gets so busy in December that I’m “blogged out” when the new year ushers in. Then just as I am trying to keep my ducks in the row, I get the occasional “what ducks?” from life question that I end up keeping away from sharing. Then, naturally, I’ll blink and it’s already May. Whaaaaaaat?! 

Before I continue, shout to all the Star Wars fans. You saw what I did with the title? lol. Hey, it was one of a few options which could work today. 

You know how they taught us that there are four seasons back in school? Adulting has introduced me to a fifth - grief. This one is one of a kind. Doesn’t have a set time during the course of the year. No. It just pops up as it pleases. You see it during Spring’s blossoms - when the memories are good and have colour. You feel it during Summer - when memories are comforting. You dare not miss it during Autumn - when, just like the leaves, things fall apart and you see the gaps. Grief lives her best days during winter - when it is cold and leaves you seeking warmth.   

May tends to be a month when this season visits me the most. Some years are better than others. It seems like 2024, however, is set at “tjo”. 

If you’ve gone through grief, you have the appreciation of just how isolating it is. Always the elephant in the room that nobody knows how to handle. Don’t want to bring it up because you don’t know how the next person is doing on their healing journey. Does it feel like yesterday? Are you still in shock? Are you in your temporary “I’ve made peace” phase? Would you rather sit and enjoy travelling down memory lane with people who can relate? Do you prefer people to just leave you alone? See? It’s so tricky. 

Hello, grief my friend. It’s never a pleasure but this year I’m also inviting faith to our chat. As I sit with you, I will be welcoming of your presence. I’ll work on being kind to parts of my journey which don’t know healing. I will not rob myself from embracing the discomfort of the reflections. 

To those who can’t relate to you as a season, the universe grant you more by keeping this experience at bay. To every person who is going through this season, may the faith be with you…