Grief - 5 Quotes to Help You Through a Loss
Everybody goes through the process of grief at some point in their lives. Going through each stage at a time can help you come to terms with the loss. However, the process is so painful that sometimes we stay in one stage for longer than we should. The quotes about grief listed below can help you through the process and be a source of light and hope during times of mourning.
Not only can these quotes help you work through the grief, but they’ll also allow you to reflect on everything you can learn from the process and make you aware of certain tendencies to avoid as you move through it.
“Never chase after yourself thinking you should already be feeling better. Your time is yours. Remember that the worst enemy during times of grief is not loving yourself.”
-Jorge Bucay-
1. “There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.”
With these words, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow emphasizes the huge weight that we carry when we don’t allow ourselves to express our pain. We suffer deeply when we go through a loss, but sometimes we’re conditioned to keep up appearances.
When we hold back from crying in public or expressing our emotions because we’re afraid someone will see us, it prevents us from being able to accept and work through the loss. As a result, we carry a lot of pain on our shoulders and let it linger for too long. The weight of not expressing how we feel can turn into a deep depression.
It’s important to allow yourself to express your feelings. Repressing them will cause even more harm.
2. “Grief is good. Grief is the way we get through the transitions of life.”
This quote from Rick Warren invites us to view the process as an opportunity to say goodbye to the person who has left us. Sometimes it feels like you never got the chance to do it, and grieving can help you gradually start to let that person go.
At the same time, Warren also invites us to view grief as a way to prepare for a new stage in life, a stage in which that person won’t be there physically, but they’ll still be in your heart.
Going through the grieving process will allow you to say goodbye, transform the relationship you had with that person, and realize that you can move forward.
“Live your life with love, face your destiny, and accept it. Accept that your state of being is always transient and enriching.”
-Amparo Carmona-
3. “Grief is a process, not a state.”
At the beginning of this article, we mentioned that sometimes, grief lasts longer than it should. That’s why Anne Grant makes the point that grief is a process, and not a state. It’s a series of stages that you go through, from denial, to anger, to bargaining, to depression, to finally arrive at acceptance. But it doesn’t always have to be in exactly that order.
However, people often get stuck in one of the stages. They might be in denial for too long, or the sadness might last for the rest of their lives. Grant invites us to open our eyes and realize that grief is not a permanent state of being.
If you think that grief is a state, it will prevent you from moving on with your life and being happy. It’s important to be able to let that person go. Even though it hurts, it will be liberating.
4. “Grief dares us to love once more.”
Terry Tempest Williams invites us to view the process as a challenge. Some people are unable to confront the loss. They deny themselves the chance to love that person one more time because they’re afraid of losing them again. However, it’s a risk worth taking.
Everything has its positive and negative aspects. If you don’t know sadness, you can’t value happiness. Even though we must experience loss throughout our lives, going through the stages of grief will help us say goodbye and run the risk of loving again.
“Only people who avoid love can avoid grief. The point is to learn from grief and remain vulnerable to love.”
-John Branter-
5. “Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends.”
This Czech proverb is quite revealing. Sometimes when we suffer a loss, we close ourselves off from others. We stop hanging out with friends, seeing family, having a social life, and doing the things we used to enjoy.
It’s like we build a wall around ourselves to protect ourselves from the pain we feel, even though in reality we’re only making the pain stronger. It’s important to spend time with yourself and your pain, but also to share it with others and let them support you.
When you have hands to help you, friends to hug you, and words to comfort you, you can carry the pain in a healthier way. If you isolate yourself from others, the pain will consume you and you won’t know how to let it go.
“The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.”
-Baker Priest-
Have you ever gone through a period of grief? How did you get through it? These quotes can help make you aware of what the process involves and understand how to stay afloat when it feels like you’re drowning in your emotions. What seems like an ending might not always be the end. There might be new beginnings or opportunities hiding behind it, or simply different ways of relating to the person you’ve lost.
