Grief and Sadness

By Lisa White

Grief and sadness. Anxiety and anger. These are emotions that everyone feels at some point in their life. These emotions are not ones that we choose to feel. Instead, in a time of positive of thinking and manifestation, we “choose” to feel joy and we “choose” to feel happiness.

In our culture, to be with these “negative” emotions are socially unacceptable and considered negative or weak. Billions of dollars are spent every year on drugs to avoid feeling painful emotions. Billions of dollars are spent on advertising products and services which we think will make us happy. We stay busy with “to do” lists a mile long, compulsively shop, overeat, drink alcohol, take drugs, check out with the internet, stay glued to the tube and “positive think” all to avoid having to let “the not so happy” emotions flow through us.

The recent deaths of Whitney Houston and Dick Clark fill us with grief and sadness. To have these icons die and see the emotional outpouring for their passing, brings out emotions that we all hide from time to time. The gifts they shared with us as part of their destiny inspired and enriched us. But, there is another gift they gave to us in their passing. That is the gift of a moment when we are all “allowed” to feel sadness and grief together, at the same time, on a collective level.

We can now experience a moment of connection in our sadness and grief. We hug and comfort each other. We cry and feel genuine human emotion without shame and without the urge to escape it. We participate in this experience together and share our common humanity. For this moment, we don’t have to be strong.

These deaths of American Icons also allow us to express not only sadness and grief for their passing, but all of the grief and sadness that we might be holding onto inside. We are undergoing an End of an Age. The discomfort that comes with it is felt by everyone on some level. The death of systems and comforts that no longer serve us leave us feeling a collective unease even if we don’t realize it. Individually, many people have lost jobs, homes, relationships, loved ones and even hope. Many feel lost and alone and are afraid to show it.

What other grief or sadness could you be holding onto today?

Take a moment and feel that sadness or grief. Be with it. Breathe through it. Let it help you feel connected to others who may be feeling these same emotions. Let that feeling and any tears that may come be a healing salve for any loss or pain you may be holding onto right now. We may not be able to agree on politics, religion, discrimination or lifestyles, but we can all feel the comfort in what it’s like to share painful emotions together. We can share them and let them be a catalyst for healing and change. We can share them and not feel alone.