“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” ~ Jamie Anderson I love the power in this quote. It opens an opportunity to experience grief from a space of love. It is a gentle reminder that while we can sink into the depths of sadness and mourning, we can also rise to surface of it with love. For many of us, time seems to stop when a loved one transitions out of the body. Yet for the world around us, life continues. We may find ourselves surrounded by community and support in the days or weeks following this traumatic experience. Eventually though, they return to the flow of their lives. Leaving those in grief feeling more alone than ever. If the familiar scenes and people now seem like painful reminders of a time and person gone, taking time and space away may be a beneficial part of your healing. Traveling to a new landscape and culture with others that know what you’re going through can provide solace and comfort. You understand one another on a deep level. This experience has the potential to be incredibly healing. Through new experiences and meeting kindred souls, you may even discover a renewed spark for life. I’ve known Derrik and his family for over 20 years, and the change and progress I’ve witnessed in Derrik’s personal journey with grief has been remarkable. Moving forward with life doesn’t mean that we’re forgetting or abandoning our loved ones passed. They are with us always, held in our hearts, carried in the breeze, and felt in the warmth of the sun. We honor them deeply when we are willing to open back up to life. As you heal, you may find that grief, which is truly love, now has a beautiful new place to go within your heart.