Grief & Gratitude

Grief & gratitude.

Both have made my heart heavy and swollen today.

The grief doesn’t make my gratitude any smaller— and in the same way— the gratitude doesn’t make my grief any smaller either.

The weird thing is that they can exist together.

Today I’m grateful for grief. For the places it’s softened and expanded my heart. For the friendships & connections it brought. For the new eyes it’s given me. For the overwhelming love, kindness, and compassion we’ve experienced because of it.

For the closeness it’s brought me to Christ— who is in Isaiah’s words— a “man of sorrows aquatinted with grief”. I know Him better now.

I’m grateful for the way it’s welded me inseparably to David & given us a chance to rebuild and experience life with a new depth & awareness.

I’m grateful for the growth. The really awful ugly painful moments and the sacred beautiful ones as well. For the creativity its revealed & the fragility.

Both the light & the dark.

The grief & the gratitude.

For all of it, thank you.

#givethanks