When Winter Visits We Call it GRIEF Podcast
Grief is a Season much like Winter -Podcast Airing on March 28, 2023 Video on Youtube
Below is the post I shared on Facebook on March 15, 2023. In the video I share my thoughts on the seasons of grief and life with photos of my original acrylic art.
Today is a day on the calendar unlike any other day. March 15-THE IDES OF MARCH.
Today I think about 5 families who were changed forever on this day 11 years ago.
5 young people set out for fun, but never made it to their destination, 3 left the planet and 2 were left behind to mend their broken bodies and find a new path for their lives. Families and friends were left to observe, to witness and to comfort, but many had never been touched by such deep tragedy before and so it was a challenge to navigate.
Life changed in a blink of an eye. I remember the joy of my son’s life, the laughter he brought to my world. I am forever grateful he blessed our family with the time he spent on the earth, the bond he had with his brother and the zest for life he embodied.
He taught me so much. I live my life now knowing that grief had many gifts, and I was not meant to be buried by it; instead, it gave me tools to grab life by the wind and soar.
My heart is full of gratitude for the people who supported me in this process and allowed me to process this event in my own way.
It’s a day that marks a significant change, infinite love and compassion and opened my eyes to the preciousness of life and death. It invited me to expand my horizons and challenged my beliefs. I would never be the same after that day.
I recognize that when we leave this planet is not random, it’s perfect, none of us go in order to hurt those left behind, we go because it’s our time, the method of exit is often one that confuses us and the mystery of life never ends.
The people who left my life, didn’t leave in order to cause me pain, and it wasn’t God’s intention to cause me to suffer because of it. They left because it was their time. I am still here, and that means I have work to do. My son did not owe me his life, he was always free to be himself and leaving was just part of his journey.
I am in awe that anyone survived that horrific vehicle accident. I am truly in awe. I am also grateful that in knowing that, I need not worry that I will be taken before I’m ready to go, or before my job is complete. Truth is, I don’t entirely know what my job is, and so all I can do is my best in everything I do.
So I reminisce on the good my son brought to my life and focus on the good I might bring to others with whatever time I have left. He did his job, it’s time for me to do mine. Without his help I would never have written my memoir, his transition was an integral part of why I wrote it and he gave me courage from the other side. The death of a child is not something to get over, instead it’s something to take in deeply- it can be a life event we can learn from, mine for the jewels and expand our experience of life on planet earth.
It’s a day of gratitude for me. A celebration of a life well lived, although so very very short. I keep all the other families in my heart as I know we all process these events in our own unique way. Life is rarely easy…but it is worth the ride
Ryan and I the year before the accident, at his brother’s wedding. A truly joyful memory.
I share my thoughts on this through this podcast. I’d love to have your comments and feedback on what you think about the subject. Thanks so much-please don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel, feel free to share the podcast and the links to this website too!
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