I heard a great quote that resonated with me deeply.

Grief is a final act of love.

Life, as I understand it currently, is cyclical in nature.

Birth and death are represented equally in life. A plant dies for every new bud that blooms. Every sunny day is eventually followed by subsequent downpour.

Love is simply the same.

Grief is the gesture accompanied by a loss of love—or a loss of a loved one. The amount of grief is likely a function of the strength of the love.

Welcome grief like any other emotion. I tend to think that my emotions are a gauge; a set of sensors that tell me what to do. Grievance tells me to think deeply and fondly of the role someone or something played in my life.

A heavy heart is simply an indication to look inwards and bathe in the bond that existed.

Grievance forces me to think about the love. Grievance forces me think about the memories, to cherish, to appreciate, to forgive, to self reflect, and most importantly, to learn.

It’s for this very same reason that grievance is challenging. It requires you think deeply with the ultimate goal of closing a chapter, and letting go. Understanding that love is experienced, and that experiences must end. It’s saddening letting go because you don’t want to forget. Then, I remind myself again: grief is simply a part of the cycle of life.

A pilot of a plane would be scolded if they didn’t constantly use the sensors available to them—the plane would crash.

We have a similar set of sensors, only the emphasis on using them isn’t as clear.