Grief Graffiti

My son’s death transformed me. But I didn’t ask for this transformation. My son’s death made me more self aware. I didn’t want more self awareness. His death changed my perspective on life but I liked my former view of the world. I am a more compassionate person, more sensitive to others’ suffering.

But I didn’t really want any of those things in 2023, the year he died.

All I really wanted was him.

And since I can’t have him the way I wished for in this life, I will bring all the goodness that he’s created within me forward into this broken world. Any beauty that comes from pain is not in spite of grief, it’s because of grief. Any compassion that comes from grief is not in spite of our beloved dead, it’s because of them.

It sucks. And it’s profound.