Grief is Part of Your Story, but It’s Not the Only Story
I’m currently in Playa del Carmen, Mexico with my husband on a work trip. He has a few classes and meetings to attend, so I have a little time to write.
The hotel we are staying at is right on the beach, and so last night I suggested that we get up early so we could see the sunrise on the water. Our alarm went off and it was still dark. He hadn’t slept well, so he wasn’t sure he wanted to get up and go. But he finally said, “I’m awake anyway, we might as well go.” So we did.
As we walked through the resort to get to the water, it was quiet and peaceful. We seemed to be the only ones awake. I don’t enjoy crowds, so this was delightful to me. We got to the water, and there were lounge chairs to sit in. It was so relaxing to sit there under the beautiful pink and peach sky and hear the waves lapping at the sand.
All of the sudden, we heard the sound of a big engine start up, and we could hardly believe our eyes when a big old tractor started driving along the shore scooping up seaweed that had washed up overnight.
All that tranquility was gone while the tractor ever so slowly chugged its way along the water. I actually find it quite humorous that this happened, but I could be telling myself the story that the tractor ruined our morning peace. Which, for a few minutes, it did. But really, the tractor is just one part of the story of our morning. It was peaceful before. After it left, we laughed and had a good walk up the beach and back, and enjoyed experiencing this beautiful world we live in.
Sometimes it’s that way in our lives. When we are going through difficult times, heartache, or simply something unexpectedly unpleasant pops up, it’s hard to see anything but that difficulty. And that’s okay if right now you’re in the middle of it, and it’s blocking your view of anything else. But it wasn’t always this way. And it won’t always stay this way.
The tractor is not the whole story of my morning. Your sorrow or grief is part of your story (and maybe a big part), but it’s not the only story. You are more than your most difficult times. Don’t let them be the only story.
