Waves of Grief

I always thought the phrase “waves of grief” was just an artistic way to talk about mourning. It sounds good, it’s descriptive, it’s a little overused. But hey, why not? Cliché or not, it sounds pretty.

But today I learned why people use “waves of grief.” Because they’re real.

I was just sitting, looking out at the grass, and everything slowed down. And then, out of nowhere, this feeling of grief came like a wave –growing bigger and bigger, and then the crest with eyes welling up, and then the slow receding of the tide, of the intensity of the sadness, and then back to normal, back to looking out at the grass.

It felt like a wave. And you know what they say, if it looks like a wave, and walks like a wave, then it must be… a duck! No, a wave, silly.

So, waves of grief. Not just a figure of speech, not simply an artistic phrase. A true way to characterize mourning.