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Grief And Loss Are Essential To Life
Today, I sit here alone, in a small city in Mexico, with Catholic processions on the street, walking by my kitchen window. It is Good Friday. In these processions people wear either black or white robes made of muslin, and carry large wooden crosses, while singing solemn songs.
I excitedly film them from my window, and feel a deep resonance with what they are doing.
This is not usual for me, as I have never been Christian or Catholic, and nor have I ever desired, or attempted to, celebrate Good Friday.
But, today, I get it more than I ever have before.
Perhaps it is because this Good Friday coincides with my own death and resurrection experience of this past week, due to a serious, life- threatening medical emergency, as well as due to a heartbreaking loss of a close relationship in my life.
In this past week, I have had to rest and reflect, and spend a lot of time being still, to recover. In many ways I have felt leveled, physically, emotionally, existentially, and spiritually. So much pain and terror. So much loss. So much ineffable death to wrap my mind and heart around. What has happened to me has created a gargantuan split in the the fabric of my lived reality, while slowing me and my life down, to almost a static degree.
