Time 2 Heal

In the Quaker practice of worship, friends come together, seated and facing one another, for an hour of silence. For the first few meetings, the silence can be uncomfortable. Maybe even unbearable. For many, they are overcome by tears. I ugly cried so hard I made horrific, audible gasps for air. Eventually, somehow, you find a way to settle into the silence. You even manage to learn and grow in its power. But more important than growth, you find comfort.

One Friend shared with me her method of getting comfortable. When she sits down for meeting, she makes her way around the room, looking at each person in attendance, acknowledging their presence, emotionally sitting with that person until she feels it is time to move on. I find this practice also helps with the rapid-fire shuffle through emotions that coincide with grief. Sit with them, say hello and honor their time here with you. Then, move on to the next one, until the discomfort becomes more bearable. Perhaps you’ll even begin to find comfort. And with that, comes growth.