Better to Mourn Your Losses Than to Deny Them

Better to mourn your losses than to deny them. Dare to feel your losses. Dare to grieve them. Name the pain and say, “Yes, I feel real pain, real fear, real loss; and I am going to embrace it. I will take up the cross of my life, and accept it.” To grieve is to experience the pain of your life and face the dark abyss where nothing is clear or settled, where everything is shifting and changing. To fully grieve is to allow your losses to tear apart feelings of false security and safety and lead you to the painful truth of your brokenness and dependence upon God alone. Finally, you come to the point where you honestly can say: “Yes, yes, yes! This is my life, and I accept it!”

Henri Nouwen

When I realized I was better off daring to feel my loss, name my pain, and accept my loss, a door opened into a new place that led to healing and renewed hope.

What loss have you been holding close but really need to mourn and eventually release? Loss of a dream? Loss of a friendship? Loss of who you once were? Loss of health? Loss of a loved one? Loss of your independence? Loss of emotional or spiritual vitality?

I invite you with me to dare to grieve. To look beyond where you are to where you could be. To commit to the journey of getting to the place where you can freely say,

“Yes, yes, yes! This is my life, and I accept it!”