In Readiness

He labors to leave and the family sets everything in order for his passing.  After all the formalities, the purchasing a favored colored casket, the selecting of a good plot location, the paper work filled out, will come the most private individual experience, we will all go through, as he departs.  We will all grieve.  Friends as well as family members.

I grieve now and he is still living.  I grieve for her.  I will miss him so much but it's his wife left here, that breaks my heart.  I unexpectedly shed tears or tears well up and don't spill over.  

I feel sad for my friend.  I fuss about her not eating lunch or resting when she should rest.  She is surrounded by her children and myriads of friends, that most likely feel as I do.  I have no unique monopoly on caring about her or for her. 

I get out my 1992 RS book.   Open the back cover and see where I wrote...pg. 138  Stages of Grief.  1.shock 2.denial 3.suffering 4.anger 5.acceptance

 Page 138--  A Compassionate Service lesson entitled-  From Grief to Solace.  I look over the sub-headings...

 We Each Have Grief in Our Lives

Grieving Is Part of the Healing Process

Shock and Denial

Suffering and Anger

Acceptance

Solace Comes from the Savior

That was in 1992.  23 years earlier in 1969 a lady named Elisabeth Kubler-Ross created a big stir by writing a book- On Death & Dying- that identified 5 steps of emotions in grieving.  I thought the Church was so modern to have a lesson about stages in grieving.


I just now Googled it to see what comes up and now there are 5 steps, 7 steps and even 10 steps.  some are called steps and some stages but no matter the number we check out, we will go through these emotions in one way or another.  


As the RS lesson stated....Solace Comes from the Savior

I will not leave you comfortless:

I will come to you.

                       (John 14:18) 

  http://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/

http://www.mycog.com/tenstagesofgrief.htm