Grief is a funny thing. It can be found in a rusty mail box, or a dried aspen leaf pressed between two pages of a book. It can be found on the wings of a bird or in the silent tears of a child. It has no limits, no bounds, and no timeline. But as much as it is elusive to understand and “pin down,” it is also ever present. And when pressed, articulate.

We all experience loss throughout our lives. It’s the other side of what we call love.

It comes in every color, variation, and magnitude. And as much as it may provoke discomfort, it can also provide some solace; knowing that we have loved and been loved.

I’m not going to deny it’s sadness. The sorrow and anger that may arise together at the injustice we may feel when we lose someone close. I’m not going to deny that it can feel unfair when we realize that those voices we had forgotten to cherish, will never be shared again. And I’m not going to ignore the hard truth that life after they are gone will never be quite the same.

But I will say that we are better for the opportunities to grow out of loss. We are more complete as humans when we know this other side of joy.

Grief offers up the opportunity for us to learn to take more notice of the lives we encounter – the ones who linger in our hearts and minds and are not easily dismissed. The ones who change us and propel us in new and delightful directions. And when we can do this, we will notice something spectacular that comes from the chaos of mourning – that we can count ourselves lucky to have been impacted by someone who saw the very best in us… just as we are.