Whether navigating shifts in one’s personal life, family or recognizing larger societal shifts, many people may resonate with the famous saying "the only constant is change".

Sometimes, amidst the deluge of content on social media, I discover something that speaks to me on a deeper level and gives me pause.

Before engaging with Francis Weller’s Entering the Healing Ground: The Wild Edge of Sorrow, I was well aware of an intellectual/rational part of my system. I’ve come to learn that this one attempts to logically explain what I am feeling to help me feel more in control. While this can be helpful, it does have its limitations, especially when it comes to navigating grief.

Grief has a holistic impact on our well-being — it touches our emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and physical health. Grief is not a linear journey or a set of stages to complete. It’s an adaptive process that the mind and body move through while learning to live with loss. Understanding what’s happening inside you—and having tangible strategies to support yourself along the journey—can make this experience feel less overwhelming.

Sometimes we may think we understand things. But that is the operative word: think. We can read all the books and articles and listen to podcasts and lectures and attend workshops and trainings, but it will still fall short of lived experience. This is the case with grief. Until you have actually experienced a loss, you likely will not fully understand the holistic impact that grief can have on one’s life. 

Some of the hallmarks of grief are a sense of chaos, messiness and confusion. It can feel like we are spinning adrift in a sea of painful thoughts and emotions with no discernible signs of rescue. All of them remind us of the loss we have sustained, and their constant chorus is often too much for us to bear. We long for someone who can be with us in the midst of this tumult; a lifeline that helps to mitigate the loneliness. Sometimes, though, the platitudes that people offer only further amplify our pain.