Good Grief

 

 

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Did you ever wonder where the term, "good grief" came from?

Some might ask, "What so good about grief?"

Those of us who have studied thanatology (the study of death and related issues) and have served the dying and those they leave behind might be able to talk around this subject.

Those who have experienced grief and healing through grief and morning can speak with even deeper insight.

One day, actually his last day on earth, I visited a friend and asked him, "Are you in pain?"

He replied, "Yes. But good pain."

Go ahead and scratch your heads, but since he was communicating with me verbally and nonverbally, I got it. It made perfect sense.

Some varieties and depths of goodness do not come easily into our lives, but when they do come, they take deep and authentic root into our broken soils and produce fruit that is sometimes bittersweet, but oh, so nourishing.

Good grief!