Don’t tell me/ us/ them to get over it,

loss has changed us,

life has changed through it,

and yes it was inevitable,

whether prolonged or unexpected,

shocking, or prayed for,

loss cuts like a knife,

ask anyone who has experienced it,

and really dared to explore

the depths of it,

loss can be many things,

but the lost cannot be replaced,

they are gone,

and we, left behind are changed,

be it person, pet, or relationship,

the scars are real,

and at times raw,

anniversaries, celebrations,

triggered memories

awaken, and remind us of what was,

and what cannot be again,

and yes the world turns,

and yes the seasons change,

and yes grief ebbs and flows,

we will and do laugh again,

but the loss remains,

if we are all honest

we all live with it

to some degree,

so go gently,

be gentle,

especially with yourself….

The face of Mary from the pieta carving by Fenwick Lawson in Durham Cathedral, I am challenged by the way the wood is split, and the grief that Simeon spoke of has been encapsulated in her face.