My dear, long time friend Sally recently broke her ankle, forcing her to slow down and acknowledge to loss of independence and mobility, two qualities that have defined her in the past. She turned to a favorite book of meditations that she “picks up from time to time”.

I now share some excerpts from EVERYDAY SERENITY, (Meditations for people who do too much) by David Kundtz. He quotes Molly Fumia, “In grief we face a sacred moment, one permeated with fear, overflowing with pain, steeped in difficulty.” Kundtz believes that what prevents us from the essential joy of doing nothing, is the presence of grief. He acknowledges that “It is a formidable presence and our first response is to avoid it. It happens to everyone and no one is immune.”

He further believes that one of the first signs that we are ready to face grief is our willingness to stop, to be quiet, and to be with ourselves. He connects it to the sacredness that Fumia speaks about. Grief brings us into contact with ourselves so he suggests we consider: What am I sad about today? Then just allow the feeling of loss, the grief, to be there a moment. Having grieved, the “sacredness is in the sound of our returning footsteps.” We can return to life, to ourselves, with a new compassion, a new understanding, and even a new joy.”

“Today spend some time feeling one of your losses, and listen for the sound of (or the promise of) your returning footsteps.

-Harriet