Photography by Paige Pruitt-Haase
Ok, well, it is not exactly "mine", but through Grief Share I have learned how important it is to share with everyone a letter hopefully explaining my grief. This way there are no guesses as to how I am feeling and maybe what I need from everyone. I copied it mostly from my workbook, sometimes it is hard for me to come up with words, clearly. So here it goes:
Dear Friends,
Recently I have suffered a devastating loss, as you all know. I am grieving and it will take months and maybe even years to recover. I wanted to let you know that I will cry from time to time. My tears are not a sign of weakness or a lack of faith. They are God's gift to me to express the extent of my loss, and they are also a sign that I am recovering.
The past 4 months have been far more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I now realize this process of grieving is messy and lasts a lot longer than I had anticipated. Thank you for being my friends and supporting me during this season of grief. You don't always have to know what to say or even say anything if you don't know how to respond. Your presence and a touch or hug lets me know you care. Please don't wait for me to call you since sometimes I am too tired or tearful to do so.
Please know that I do not need fixing... that is God's job! Your love, patience and prayers will sustain me through this time. God is faithful; He is my sustaining grace.
Please pray that God will use this time of grieving to grow me and equip me to minister to others with greater compassion than ever before. I know I will not just survive... joy will return!
If you have experienced a similar type of loss, please feel free to share it with me. It will help rather than cause me to feel worse. And don't stop sharing if I begin to cry. It's all right, and any tears you express are also all right!
This loss is so painful, and right now it feels like the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I will survive and eventually recover. I cling to that knowledge, even though there have been times when I didn't feel it. I know I will not always feel as I do now. Laughter and joy will emerge once again someday.
Thank you for for caring enough to read this letter. Thank you for listening and praying. Your concern comforts me and is a gift for which I will always be thankful.
In Christ,
Paige
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