Living With Grief
I don't think I'm feeling better,
just putting on a good face.
Grieving is like that.
You break down,
then pull yourself together.
You keep pretending
everything is normal—
until some random thing pops up
and you find yourself in a puddle.
A single word,
a picture,
or a random thought
can crack the mask
and I am back to square one,
where I'm forced to stand tall,
wipe the tears away,
and protected by the shadows
of those I love,
face the reality of the day,
hoping tomorrow will be better,
that the word, the picture or the thought
will not come forward
to shatter the mask completely.
~Elise Skidmore ©2024
And again your words are so true.
Thank you, Lucille.
That’s the thing about grief, whether it’s over the death of a loved one or the grief of shattered dreams, grieving is something all humans share. It’s a commonality that joins us. I don’t think grief ever truly leaves us, but we learn to live with it better over time.