Reading from Henri Nouwen’s book again today—the one he somehow published after he died (an impressive stunt!)….

“If you grieve well, the spiritual eternal seed of that other person’s life gets well planted both in yourself and others! This is why the bottom of grief is joy! The bottom of sorrow is a dance of hope, but we have to receive the gift through mourning. They are tethered together-grief and joy. We suddenly find in ourselves the hope of that person’s life having been lived, and so still blooming in us.” That helps. If we grieve well we run into or find that person’s spiritual gift-what their life really represented-for us all! In this case, belonging, true motherhood… Like that idea. Feels true. The idea here is we can and are meant to meet more of God through grieving another person’s life. And in this way, that person becomes a living seed of life in us, which keeps blossoming! A gift which keeps giving! It’s our responsibility to receive that gift well—that is, into the good soil of thankfulness.