You may think this is a little odd, but I was thinking about shoes the other day—and about how a shoe could tell a story about my grief journey.
I have a pair of work boots that I used to wear on job sites to keep my nice shoes from being destroyed. We never knew what we would run into on construction sites—drywall mud, paint, dirt, construction debris—or just about anything! So I tried to keep my work boots in the trunk, just in case. The grief journey is kind of like that—you never know just what you’ll run up against or how something will affect you at a certain time.
My work boots were comfortable, sturdy, ordinary, no-nonsense shoes. And well- worn. They were made for work. Certainly at times grief felt like hard work—and I felt worn-out and a little ragged—just like my work boots.
At other times, something would happen to really lift my spirits and give me hope— kind of like my red suede slip-on loafers. Comforting. Positive. Someone would call just to let me know they’d been thinking about me. Or a friend would offer to help with something I couldn’t do by myself. Optimistic shoes—like a grief day touched by the reassurance that everything will be okay again.
Not every day during grief is a ‘work boot’ day. Thankfully, there are some ‘red suede loafer’ days, too!
What kind of grief day are you having?
© 2011 Judy Brizendine
Because grief is confusing, disorderly, and sometimes overwhelming — it’s very important to anchor yourself during grief to someone or something that will not fail.
