Grief Has No Timeline. Letting Nature Hold Us.
Grief touches every single one of us at some point. It doesn’t follow a calendar or a clock. It has no tidy stages and no finish line.
This truth came up deeply for me recently when a dear friend shared how the loss of her father struck her again with full force, even nine years later. And the heartbreaking tragedy at Camp Mystic in Texas, losing young lives so suddenly and painfully, has left so many of us stunned and aching.
We often hear that grief should be linear, or that time alone will “heal” it. But grief doesn’t work that way. It is as unique as each of us, as personal as a fingerprint.
When we lose someone we love, our entire inner landscape shifts. There is no “getting over it.” Instead, we learn to live with it. We carry our love forward, and sometimes grief rises up unexpectedly... an anniversary, a scent in the air, a song on the radio, and it can feel just as raw as the first day.
The grief process moves through different shapes. There is the initial, acute grief; that overwhelming wave of shock and sorrow. Then, for some, grief becomes complicated and heavy, lingering longer than we might expect. Over time, many of us learn to integrate grief into our lives: we still feel the pain and longing, but we also find ways to live fully again, to carry both love and loss in the same breath.
Nature as a Gentle Companion
One of the most powerful healers I know is nature itself. The quiet shelter of a tree, the rhythmic pull of the ocean, the warmth of the sun on our skin. These elements remind us that everything moves in cycles. Abadio Green, a wise man and linguist of the Gunadule people in Colombia, teaches that everything in nature is a womb. Nature holds us, transforms us, and allows us to rest and be reborn in gentle, subtle ways. Nature doesn’t ask us to be “okay” or to “move on.” It simply offers a place to rest, to breathe, and to remember that we are held, even in our deepest sorrow.
What to Say (and Not Say)
When someone we love is grieving, we often search for the “right” words. Sometimes, even with the best intentions, what we say can unintentionally hurt rather than help.
Instead of listing it all here, I’ve created a special Grief Support Guide that offers thoughtful suggestions on what to say (and what not to say), along with a gentle, nature-based grief ritual to support you or someone you love.
A Gentle Invitation
If you are grieving, know that your timeline is yours alone. There is no expiration date on missing someone you love.
If it feels right, let nature accompany you. Take a slow walk, hold a stone in your hand, or simply sit under a tree and feel the breeze on your face. Let nature be your quiet, wordless companion.
If you’d like more support, I invite you to download my free Grief Support Guide. In it, you’ll find compassionate language suggestions for what to say (and what not to say), plus a nature-based practice designed to help you feel more held and connected in your grief journey.
Download your free Grief Support Guide HERE!
