Almost six years ago, Jill’s husband died. She was 44 at the time. I do not know what it is like to be a widow. But through Jill’s stories, I am given a glimpse into that world. And generously, she is sharing her stories about love and grief with others.
When discussing Closure on a radio program, I encouraged listeners to know they did not need closure to heal. Jill contacted me to say how much those words meant to her. Here are some thoughts from her blog, The Heartbreak Diary.
“You Don’t Need Closure to Heal. These words help free me from guilty feelings of leaving Ken behind to live my own time-limited life. They help me understand why today I am a stronger, better person with a surer sense of right living—even though I owe so much to the man who isn’t here to reap the benefits of my improved self.”
“These six words give me permission to feel happy, to grow, to enjoy life and to honor and respect what I’ve lost with a gentle bow of reverence.”
“And for all the people who I imagine might think: your husband died in 2006 so get over it—now I have six words for you: You Don’t Need Closure to Heal.”
Finding words to capture the nature of grief is difficult. I am grateful to people like Jill who share what it is like to live with grief. To move on amidst chaos, encountering joy while carrying the burden of sadness and the disbelief that lingers, yet seeing life in new and beautiful ways.
Thank you, Jill, for writing about grief. May others find hope and solidarity in your story.
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