My sister shared this with me yesterday. I am not sure it explains grief perfectly…I doubt anyone could do that, but it is something to consider.
Grief is a tricky thing to consider. Someone once compared it to a moving ball in a box with a grief button. At first the ball is as big as the inside of the box and the grief button is hit all of the time. Over time, the ball shrinks and only hits the button occasionally. The grief is still there, yet is not triggered as often as it was at first.
I found this quote on another website.
“Grief is never experienced the same way for any two people. But it helps to know that grief impacts most of us in a way where the pain is intense at the beginning, but the frequency (if not the intensity) of the pain lessens over time. Most of us walk through life, carrying our own box with a ball of grief inside of it. Remember that the next time you see someone, as they may be struggling with their own ball in the box.”
I have always said this about people, not in those words, just that when we see people having a hard day…we don’t know why…for all we know they may have just lost a pet, or a job, or even a son. We all cope with grief in different ways. If you see me in the store and notice that I look happy, I may be happy, yet sad at the same time. Whether I look happy or sad, remember that I am struggling with my own ball in a box.