Resource: The Sacred Work of Grief, Francis Weller

Grief is not a problem to be solved or a condition to be medicated; it is an initiation, a rite of passage that calls us into deeper engagement with life and the humanness of us all.

When we encounter loss, be it through the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the witnessing of the world’s suffering, we are invited into the wild terrain of sorrow.

This initiation demands that we confront the fragility and impermanence of life. It breaks open our hearts, compelling us to shed the layers of armor we’ve built to protect ourselves from pain. In this raw vulnerability, we are brought closer to our own humanity and the interconnectedness of all beings.

Grief initiates us into a deeper, more authentic experience of life. It teaches us the language of the heart, a language that acknowledges the beauty and the pain, the joy and the suffering that coexist in our world. 

This initiation is not about moving quickly to resolution or bypassing the discomfort; rather, it is about allowing ourselves to be fully present with our sorrow, to sit in the darkness and to listen to what it has to teach us. Through this initiation, we are transformed. We become more compassionate, more empathetic, and more alive. We develop a greater capacity to hold the full spectrum of human emotions and to be present for others in their times of sorrow.

The initiation of grief is a sacred journey, one that, when embraced, can lead us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the sacredness of life itself. In this way, grief is not a burden but a gift, a powerful teacher that guides us towards wholeness and connection. It is the wild edge of sorrow that carves out space in our hearts for the full breadth of the human experience, inviting us to live more deeply and love more fully.

To go deeper, please click on the link and let Francis take you on a beautiful journey:

The Wild Edge of Sorrow: The Sacred Work of Grief (francisweller.net)

With love & grace,

Mariana & Tash