Maurice in life had the habit of helping others face life. He is having the same impact in death. Maurice died, suddenly on June 3, 2011.
Maurice was my best friend. Well, at least, I thought we were BFF until a couple of hundred other people boasted of the same status. Ha!
Maurice was an anchor to hundreds of people because he seemed to always available and had such a wonderful gift of wisdom. It seems as though someone contacts me on a daily basis grappling with the loss of Mo. He was a friend, pastor, counselor, and life coach. His connections impacted the low and lonely and the rich and famous with the ability to believe that God was real and was present. I suppose that people contact me looking for something. I think I have discovered what they want: permission to grieve.
Contrary to our cultural views and the plethora of ”feel good tonics” trying to make us feel better…grief is good. Grief…it comes in waves. Waves in the ocean seem to come in few at a time and then pause only to return again in a small series. Waves can catch us off guard and knock us down.
The sciences say something about grief when they present the Five Stages of Grief or Loss:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Grief is experienced at different levels depending on the type of relationship that was shared when there is loss. How we grieve the loss of relationships with those we love the most is different from how we grieve the loss of unrealized dreams, but we do grieve and it hurts. Despite our reluctance to experience the low depths of life…grief is good because it helps us heal.
Maurice has been promoted to heaven. It’s a gain for him and big loss for us. We should grieve. It’s not only okay…it’s needed.
Need help grieving? I hope to have a group at my church beginning in October. I just need a facilitator! You can click the GriefShare logo below and find a group near you! It’s a great way to process grief.
