My mother-in-law passed away a few years ago. There must have been hundreds of people who came to offer their condolences to my wife and I. Yet, it was when I was hiding away from the masses in a stairwell of the church with my three best friends and their wives that I felt the freedom to grieve. They said nothing. They offered no words or no hugs. We just laughed about each other's lives. It was profound. I remember it vividly like I was watching a moment of my life like an outside observer as we all hid in the stairwell. They gave me the most comfort and peace amidst the grief I felt, for no other reason that they were present. They put on no masks of grief and love for my benefit. They were just themselves.
My mother-in-law passed away a few years ago. There must have been hundreds of people who came to offer their condolences to my wife and I. Yet, it was when I was hiding away from the masses in a stairwell of the church with my three best friends and their wives that I felt the freedom to grieve. They said nothing. They offered no words or no hugs. We just laughed about each other's lives. It was profound. I remember it vividly like I was watching a moment of my life like an outside observer as we all hid in the stairwell. They gave me the most comfort and peace amidst the grief I felt, for no other reason that they were present. They put on no masks of grief and love for my benefit. They were just themselves.
Thank you D.W. For giving voice to the receiving end of this kind of support. May it make trusting the process easier for those on the giving end.