Hope is the Thing With Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all
~ Emily Dickinson


We've named our blog Hopeful Crossings to highlight two essential components of the grief process--the search for hope and the journey itself with its winding path that often crisscrosses itself.

In all our losses, transitions and grief, the only saving grace is the hope of recovery, of healing, of transformation, of something new that is worth the journey. This common thread of hope steadies the course and keeps us looking forward.

Hope resides deep within, like “the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” In the early stages of loss we may not recognize or believe we have hope and look outside ourselves. Any positive sign, a sunny day, a smiling child, a feather on the ground can make us hopeful. Only later do we understand that hope has been there all along, singing “the tune” of our life, even though there are no words to describe the pain of loss.

New grievers in acute pain may not feel hopeful, but still search for it. I once met a widow in the grocery store who had attended my grief group the previous summer. She told me how much better she was feeling and then confided, “You know, you kept telling me that I would feel better, but I didn’t believe you.” When asked why she kept coming to the group she replied, “Well, I could tell that you believed you, and I hoped you were right. “ Hope in action.

Grief is a journey that begins at the time of loss and continues until we fully incorporate that loss into our lives. Our grief journeys start and stall, meandering and intertwining with the rest of our lives. We find ourselves at junctures or crossroads that are familiar, yet as we move through them we gain deeper understanding and insights that we missed the first time around. These crossings are rich places to stop and reflect, take another perspective and move forward with hope.

As fellow travelers, we share our encouragement, thoughts, learnings, and perspectives on the grief journey for more Hopeful Crossings.

Where are you on your journey? What are you hoping for? We’d love to hear your reflections and insights along the way.