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Tag: dealing with grief

Sitting With Darkness

January 26, 2025January 27, 2025 ~ wordancerblog ~ 6 Comments

Now, she’s gone, and I’m trying to find my way in the wake of this darkness.  How do I walk on towards old age?  How do I live fully with joy and optimism while holding pain and anxiety at bay? 

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  1. Trish's avatar
    Trish on One Little Word, 2026January 7, 2026

    I can't add anything but, "Brava" to the comments here! The stanzas that begin, "Remember me as..." speak so clearly…

  2. Lainie Levin's avatar
    Lainie Levin on One Little Word, 2026January 7, 2026

    Well, first of all, the older I get, the older "old" is =)And I love the mindset you are bringing…

  3. Jessica Carey's avatar
    Jessica Carey on One Little Word, 2026January 7, 2026

    Remarkable. Flashy and spunky. I love your attitude approaching this year and your upcoming birthday. So inspiring.

  4. Leigh Anne Eck's avatar
    Leigh Anne Eck on One Little Word, 2026January 6, 2026

    I love all of this! The word, the thinking behind it, the poem, and the picture! I just reacently purchased…

  5. Fran McCrackin's avatar
    Fran McCrackin on One Little Word, 2026January 6, 2026

    I like the way you build up to your word reveal. And with the perfect photo!

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6 responses to “Sitting With Darkness”

  1. majfoil Avatar
    majfoil
    January 26, 2025

    jojo, thank you so much for sharing this. I am blessed in your sharing. Please know I am praying for you. ❤️

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Linda&Greg Avatar
    Linda&Greg
    January 28, 2025

    This is a very powerful slice, and the way you are sharing your grief resonates with me. I appreciated your description of the not being able to parts as well as the making the soup and watching the snow softly cover the night. I appreciate your sharing the writing of your former student. Thank you for sharing today.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. margaretsmn Avatar
    margaretsmn
    January 28, 2025

    I hope you sent the poem to your former student. I know that darkness waits for me as my mother and my mother-in-law are both aged. My father died two years ago and it took a solid year for me to emerge and feel whole again. Give yourself time. I love all of you “I Can” statements.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. natashadomina Avatar
    natashadomina
    January 29, 2025

    This is so lovely. I especially love these lines: “I can sit in this darkness. I can let it drape over me like a blanket. I can sink into it and not drown. I can look up and see the snowflakes mingle with silvery stars.” When my father died last summer, a friend told me that for the first two weeks after her father died she basically just stayed in bed and watched tv. I continue to find that helpful, as I’m still not getting as much done as I think I “should”–and also going through periods of not reading. Loss is so hard. But, as you wrote, “I am strong enough to sit in the darkness with this grief.” My heart goes out to you.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Trish Avatar
    Trish
    January 29, 2025

    Painful, stunningly beautiful—the paradox of this piece: “We can’t tell each other apart./Who is the darkness?/Who is the light?” Truth that brings tears this morning with hope in the promise of, “Waiting for our eyes to adjust.”

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Fran McCrackin Avatar
    Fran McCrackin
    January 29, 2025

    Trish and others pulled some of your most beautiful lines. But I also want to note the lovely progression of your piece, from facts and despair, through coping by keeping busy and productive even though your thoughts wont settle on anything, then to the solace of noticing nature, the snow and then the moon, and finally on to a poetic contemplation that adds depth and beauty to this journey. A journey many are feeling, for many reasons.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
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