Grief is Love Alchemised.

Grief is not a weakness or a problem to be solved, it is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, essential to the process of acknowledging, and coming to terms with the pain and loss we feel.

Grief is a living thing that comes in waves, receding imperceptibly until we feel a little bit lighter, a touch more hopeful, before it rushes back in to steal the air from our lungs and force us back to our knees. But each time it ebbs we are left a little stronger, more resilient, slightly better equipped to live in this strange new 'after' world that we find ourselves suddenly cast into.

The goal of grief is not to 'get over it', it is to feel. It is the price we pay for loving deeply. The truth is, we will grieve forever - it will look different as time moves forward, we will grow and heal and love around our grief, but we will never be the same again. And we shouldn't be. We wouldn't want to be.

Memory and grief are irrevocably entwined, a bittersweet union of sorrow and beauty. it hurts to remember. It's also all we have left, and that makes those memories so, so, precious.

So we cling tightly to the memories, welcoming the pain alongside the warmth they bring because it keeps them with us, it allows us to honor the time we had, it etches them into our soul.

I am so sorry that you have found yourself in a position where you are searching for something to memorialize your love and keep your memories safe. I hope you find some comfort here.

xox