A wise woman once said, “As surely as we are born into life, one day, we will leave it.” The older we grow, the more likely we are to experience the loss of a loved one. That bereavement period is a tough time.
For although no one wants to consider the notion, we are all likely to experience the loss of a parent, grandparents, spouse or life partner, and any siblings or cousins we might consider close family members.
While we must all experience loss, we can take comfort in the fact that others before us have experienced the same crushing feeling. We can be comforted, especially when studying some important quotes that remind us that although our loved one is no longer on earth, we can cherish the memories we do have. Our lives may be missing an important loved one, but our lives are better for their being here.
12 Quotes to Help Heal Pain During Bereavement
1 – “We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world – the company of those who have known suffering.” – C.S. Lewis
Often, when we experience a loss, we may feel overwhelming loneliness. However, renowned author C.S. Lewis reminds us that we are not alone in our bereavement. There are others who experience loss, and one way to deal with that loss is to seek out the comfort of others. This is especially true when we seek out the solace of those who are also members of the company who have lost a loved one.
2 – “Though lovers be lost, love shall not. And death shall have no dominion.” -Dylan Thomas
Although our loves ones may no longer be physically present with us, the love we have for them is eternal. Death cannot kill the love we have for one another. We can take great comfort in knowing that love lives forever, even when our physical bodies no longer exist.
3 – “To weep is to make less the depth of grief.” -William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s work is relevant even today, and it is evident in this quote. Shakespeare reminds those of us grieving that it is healthy to mourn the loss of a loved one. Bereavement is a sign of the great love we have for others.
Grief is a normal reaction to the loss of a loved one. While many feel that crying is a sign of weakness, it is not – and the Bard recognized this fact! In fact, it is healthy to cry because of our losses.
4 – “When those you love die, the best you can do is honor their spirit for as long as you live.” -Patrick Swayze
We may remember the late Patrick Swayze from his role in “Dirty Dancing” or “Ghost,” but the actor was also quite wise.
When our loved ones die, one of the greatest honors we can give them is to keep their memories alive. You may find creating a social media post on the loved one’s birthday or on the anniversary of his or her death rather therapeutic. You’ll be honoring your loved one and ensuring that others do not forget how special your loved one is.
5 – “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” – Leo Tolstoy
Are you hurting due to bereavement? Tolstoy says that is the mark of a strong person’s love for another.
Yes, when our loved ones pass, we are deeply hurt. However, we should take great comfort in knowing that, first, our great sorrow is due to a deep love for that person. Next, we should take comfort in knowing that this strength will help us learn to cope with our loss.
We don’t forget our loved one, nor do we forget the love we had for that person. However, time helps us to learn how to cope with the loss. It is healthy to grieve over the loss of a parent, friend, or spouse. However, we must be strong enough not to allow ourselves to stay in a state of grief forever. We must learn how to deal with that grief in a healthy way and learn how to live a “new” normal life after loss.
6 – “The risk of love is loss, and the price of any loss is grief. But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” -Hilary Stanton Zunin
An adage says that it is better to have lost love than to have never loved at all. The same can be said for the loss of a loved one. Our loved ones make our lives richer. Yes, the price we pay for allowing this richness in our lives is the loss of our loved ones at some point. However, we can honor the memory of those who go on before us, and we can hold on to our memories as a way of healing from our own grief.
7 – “Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve.” -Earl A Grollman
Grief is actually a healthy reaction to the loss of a loved one. Grief is actually something that honors the lost loved one. It is a sign of deep love. It is a sign of deep love. Grieving is healthy, as long as we do not continuously dwell on the loss.
8 – “Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” -Anne Roiphe
When we speak of not continuously dwelling on the loss, at some point, we must begin to pick up the pieces after the loss of a loved one and make a new life. Let’s reiterate. This does not mean we are to forget our deceased loved ones! However, we must move toward a life without that person. We learn a “new” normal. We can tell stories of that lost loved one. We can hang pictures. We share the lost loved one’s history with younger generations. However, we must learn how to cope with the loss of that person.
It is often said that our loved ones would never want us to grieve ourselves to the point of becoming ill ourselves. This is true. We must learn how to honor the memory of our loved one without allowing ourselves to fall into an overwhelming depression after the loss. It is healthy to miss a lost loved one, but not to allow our own physical illness because of a loss.
9 – “If you love, you will grieve, and that’s just given.” -Kay Redfield Jamison
Certainly, part of loving someone eventually has to give that person up. We humans are never guaranteed life from one day to the next. We may outlive our spouses, our parents, our siblings, and, in some instances, our children. Because this is a given, we must learn how to grieve in a healthy way.
10 – “Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom.” –Rumi
Grief can often teach us a variety of lessons. One of these lessons is often compassion. As one previous quote stated, we are in a large company when we consider all those who experience loss. We can use the compassion we learn from going through a loss to comfort someone else. Often, this is why we experience hard times – so that we can minister to others in their time of need. We can use bereavement to make ourselves useful to those around us.
11 – “Grief is the price we pay for love.” –Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen speaks wisely. And what a true statement it is, but so well worth it. Bereavement comes for a season in our lives, but its purpose is to help us grow.
12 – “What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” -Helen Keller
We never truly lose the ones we love as long as we keep their memories alive. We grow from every relationship we have, and when we lose loved ones, we learn how to deal with loss. Bereavement is a natural part of life.
We should allow ourselves to love even at the risk of losing that loved one, as it is an inevitable part of life. We grow from our experiences, both negative and positive.
Final Thoughts on Working Through Your Bereavement Period
Grief is a daily process. Work through the tears, but keep the memories alive. This is a part of the healthy process of healing after a bereavement. In time, you will remember the best times of your life fondly. Cherish every single precious memory of your love one. The loss will never pass, but the sting may ease over time.
Community
