HUG Corner: Thought for the Week 11/19/18

November 19, 2018

Healing After Loss (Martha Whitmore Hickman)

“We are, perhaps uniquely among the world’s creatures, the worrying animal. We worry away our lives, fearing the future, discontent with the present, unable to take in the idea of dying, unable to sit still.”

-Lewis Thomas

Easier said than done, to get rid of all that.

But we do recognize its wisdom – the futility of worrying, the danger of being so agitated toward life that we can’t savor the wonders of the moment, can’t even sit still!

Fred Buechner has written about “The family worrier” – the one who takes on the worries about money and health and schedules and the durability of the family car, thereby freeing the others for more spontaneous and joyous pursuits.

Perhaps, for a breather – anytime, but maybe particularly when we feel burdened with heavy grief – we can make a conscious decision to “give it over,” as the early believers used to say – give to God (of the air, or some strong, stalwart tree) the whole swirling current of our grief and our agonizing about the meaning of life and death, and just drink in the moment!

Worry has been described as the ultimate self-indulgence. I don’t need it!

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