Lots of aspects of my life are falling away lately. Ending, changing, moving for one reason or another. Things I love, need, or simply enjoy.
This is a kind of loss.
There is a kind of mourning they each deserve.
I don’t believe loss can be graded or compared. It is more our reaction to loss that determines the magnitude of it in our lives. A little boy who loses their pet may feel loss as deeply as an adult who loses a friend.
There is also a perspective shift required. Anyone who’s experienced a significant loss has likely also tasted the incredible freedom that comes from having your heart ripped open. There is nothing left to lose. Risks are no longer risky. There is no “worst that can happen.” The worst has happened and you are still alive.
When I experience changes in my life that carry some of the qualities of loss on a large or small scale, I try to remember to tap into the freedom that comes with loss. When things fall away there is new space. Call it emptiness. I call it freedom.
What will I do with my newfound space and freedom.
That is a question we will be asked over and over again. Each time is a new opportunity to answer it in a different way.
Loss is not to be feared. It is to be respected and embraced. How we react to it will have a significant impact on our quality of life.
monique minahan 