Wise Words on Grief -- "Do I love others as deeply as I grieve? I hope at least this much."

Today I’m wondering if the love we have for a spouse is equal to the grief we feel when they die. Osho says that sadness gives our lives depth, and that the deeper we experience grief, the more happiness we will have, like the branches of a tree symmetrically balancing the extensiveness of its roots. He might also be saying that because of grief, we appreciate more the good things that come to us on their own, and balance is restored. The roots of grief also keep us grounded when we are tempted to think that life is supposed to be completely happy.

Osho’s image is important for those who grieve, up to a point, because to fight back to this place of balance from unending despair is such a relief. It tells us that although our grief is great, so will be our happiness. At a time when we can't imagine ever being happy again, this gives us assurance that we will.
It’s a nice equation, but I'm tired of living proportionally. I want to be all in with life. I don't want to be balanced. I want more happiness than grief, at least 60/40, so that I have a fair chance each day to enjoy life. I don't want to be limited on the happy side of the equation because I haven't suffered enough.

F**k the tree! Okay? Grief broke me, and in being broken I learned how critical it is for those who grieve to have people around who are willing to listen and help as they can.

I need to take risks, and I want to get angry when people who are grieving are being neglected, ostracized, and abused. I want to laugh at inappropriate times if I feel like laughing, and dance when I feel like dancing.

I am going to survive grief not because I am balanced, or because I have hidden strengths that grief has brought out, but because I’m stubborn. If death is going to hit me, then I’m going to hit death back, and hard.

The Personal Paradigm Shift of the Past Perfect



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