On Understanding Grief
I feel as though I should apologize for my grief. Grief almost seems too extreme a word because I am not talking about the loss of another human being or even an animal. I am, for the most part, a very positive person. And yet, grief is still the best description for the feelings that I sometimes feel. I have trouble reconciling my profound feelings of grief with the fact that I am a very lucky individual. I am someone who is lucky to be alive. I am lucky to be a functioning part of society. I am lucky to get to see my children grow up. I have a really amazing, fantastic life, one that I came so close to losing and therefore do not take for granted. For all of these things, I am incredibly grateful. And so, I feel somewhat guilty for grieving my losses, on any level. And yet, I still feel it. Perhaps my losses are not so great, at least not in comparison to what they could have been or to others' losses. But, there are times when a deep sense of grief overwhelms me. Something...