For the last few months, I’ve been so moved when I’ve heard blessings. Two of our former neighbors happened to have been a youth pastor and a retired fire department chaplain. I couldn’t have been more thankful to have them as neighbors, especially during that time. I am not particularly religious, although I find myself drawn that way more and more. I definitely am very spiritual and was so taken with the blessings that were said for us, and that have been said directly to me recently. I wrote this blessing as a writing assignment and while I struggled with whether or not to share it, some of these things make me feel more vulnerable than others, I decided to go ahead and put it out there after a conversation with my therapist about the process of grief as a learning process. I hope that someone can take something from it…. If there’s someone in your life that this could give some hope to, please pass it on ❤️.

A blessing for everyone experiencing grief

May you hold tight to the warmth of that last hug, remember their smile, get whiffs of smells time to time that remind you of their scent

May you remember their kindnesses with love, laugh when you remember their humor

May you continue to move forward in this life through all of the pain with the recognition that to grieve is a reminder that you loved so very deeply

May you use what you are learning through grief to help others

May your person teach you from the spiritual world how to walk through this grief and guide you on this new journey

May you cry, laugh or scream when you need to

May you hold on tight to all of the details that can be easily forgotten so that from another place they can feel the love you still have for them

May you embrace those who want to support you through this grief

May you be open with your emotions and let people know how much they mean to you

May you learn and grow in your grief

May you love with all that is in you and know that your person is encouraging you to continue living your most meaningful life since that is what they would want for you