Grief, pain comes in many forms across all generations
"He who dwells in the secret place of the most high will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty whose power no enemy can withstand." - Psalm 91:1 (Amp)
Over the years, I've referenced in my column, how to handle grief. Many a compassionate heart understands the tremendous hurt when you lose someone you love.
Once you experience it, you realize grief doesn't mend quickly or easily. It manages to leave some sort of mark on your heart, written in indelible ink.
We are persevering with each passing day of the pandemic, crossing the days off our calendars hoping and praying to put our existence as shut-ins, devastation and loss quickly behind us.
We've all suffered from the traumatic blow of the coronavirus and the grief it leaves in its wake.
Each day, as we wash our hands for the 20th time, or count the mortality rates, our own timeline in this world becomes a little more evident. Realistic fears loom regarding our financial well-being or mere means to survive, as the giant pandemic poses a threat to our future hopes and dreams.
Others have lost the excitement of a good sporting event. To them, there's nothing like venting your frustration while rooting for your favorite team.
Some are enduring a sort of identity crisis, when they lose a role they played in life or a position they held in high regard. A spouse may feel this way without their mate.
The captain of the sports team who feels he has lost his chance to lead the team to victory, may feel the void. The graduate who lost the glory days of wearing that cap and gown in their school colors, to receive the award of their life, may be overwhelmed with the thought of their misfortune.
Any of these types of grief - large or small as they may seem - leave a gaping hole in the picture of the way life's supposed to be to their beholder. We're all going through this together.
The older generation needs to be cautious not to minimize the hurts of our younger ones beginning their experience with life's disappointments. We may tend to feel, in the whole scheme of financial worries, threatening health dilemmas and the like, theirs is a minor hurt. But we must be mindful that each generation's loss is just as realized and painful to them, as that of anyone at any age.
These losses involve the milestone times in their lives and their lack of experience with loss. Their early experience with grief leaves them questioning the painful feelings about life they don't understand. The older generation has the gift of wise experience to help them through.
The younger generation needs to recognize the grief of the aged, such as their grandparents and others, who desire to have a voice in their lives. The wisdom and knowledge they've acquired from their own hardships has provided valuable experience they long to impart to the younger cherished ones. They would like to be lovingly embraced and acknowledged before they leave this world.
The pandemic has destroyed life as we knew it only a few short weeks ago. But grief grows us and perhaps God has allowed this time to pass so we would develop an awareness to become more compassionate to the frontliners, the young, the aged and in-between, on a regular basis.
Maybe as we display more caring toward one another, the virus would be miraculously wiped out by the spirit of love, like God's protective love the Bible describes as being so powerful no enemy can survive it.
In future days, as the coronavirus fades into the pages of history, let's continue to show compassion on the various types of grief and pain that burden hearts and transcends all generations.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.