“Such deep, unfathomable grief makes poets of us all. Only the quietly written word wrenched from the depths of the soul, comes close to describing the pain. We the grieving translate the keening cries and the desperate screams of disbelief into the poetry that consoles us.”
Marie Levine
I am reading a new book. The above quote comes directly from author,
Marie Levine, who penned that book. It is entitled
First You Die: Learn To Live After the Death of Your Child.
Ms. Levine experienced the death of her only child and lived through it to write the words that would console, comfort and inspire another grieving mother.
Never in my wildest nightmares did I dream that I would ever find the need to read such a book or to find words to sooth my grieving heart. My experience defies what is normal. Parents are not supposed to outlive their children, it simply should not be. But the reality, my reality, is that it happens.
But how does one deal with such a tragic situation? Lay down and die yourself? Although there have been many a day when I want to do just that, reality sets in. I have something to do. There’s someone who needs me. There are also so many people to help.I think of others who have experienced loss, and how they used their grief, their pain, their experience to help others in need.
One such individual is
John Walsh.
He lost his son Adam in a very horrific way and one would have thought that he would have given up. Instead, he thought of a way that he could help others in a similar situation. His tireless anti crime activism, his work on the television show
America’s Most Wanted,has proven to be a benefit to many. Dangerous criminals have been captured and have taken their proper places in lock up.
Mrs. Mamie Till, who mustered up the unbelievable strength and boldness to allow an open casket so that the world could behold what a group of monsters did to her only son. Emett's death was not to be in vain. This courageous mother fought without let up until justice was realized. This true champion of civil rights lived to be 81 years old and endured crushing pain for that long. Mrs.Till is resting peacefully.
Another gifted soul that comes to mind is no stranger to many individuals in the world of international adoption. Mrs. Haregewoin Teferra, a hero to many,in the depths of own grief from the loss of her daughter,found the strength to care for countless Ethiopian orphans. She has enhanced the lives of these dear ones as well as inspired others to adopt including this writer. (Me) This is something that she had done until her recent death about a week ago. Mrs. Teferra will be greatly missed.
I am sure that if I think long and hard enough I can come up with many more examples. Through all of this I have realized that it is possible to be comforted from the example of others. Many a book has been written, a song sang, a story told that is born out of the anguish of another. King David was in deep distress when he penned many of the Psalms. This is the poetry that is wrenched from deep within that Ms. Levine so eloquently described in the above quote. This poetry becomes a cleansing to the poet and to the recipients of the words. I long to be a poet.
