From the editor
Ann Sousa, the author of the article below, sent me her writing in early September. With an aching heart, we are publishing it today in memory of Ann. She passed away on October 10, 2021, while being treated for Covid in a hospital. Ann Sousa was the founder of Healing the Global Village and The Global Firewalk Institute. Ann lived a truly extraordinary life, and she will always be loved and remembered for the light she generously shared with all she knew .
Grief comes in all shapes and sizes like a divorce, loss of a job, or a relationship. One of life’s most difficult experiences is losing a loved one. It would be easier if grief were a linear process with a beginning and end, but it is not. Big feelings can emerge at any time, and it seems that the grieving process never ends. Many emotions can be overwhelming, but they are not permanent states. Here are some insights into the grieving process and ideas to keep in mind when you feel overwhelmed or emotionally drowning in your grief.
Grief is often viewed as a five-stage process – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. But today we are realizing a new paradigm is needed to navigate our losses.
A new grief model suggests that we give ourselves and our loved one the Grace and Space as they journey out of the body to their own consciousness of soul. We can create a continued bond that lasts by celebrating them and keeping memories alive, and also honoring the living while alive.
In addition to feeling our own personal pain over the loss of loved ones, we harbor sorrows stemming from Communal grief that our family and friends are also experiencing in their daily life. In addition, we all live and feel the grief of the world, and especially in times we are currently living there is so much suffering humanity is processing now.
We experience daily losses and struggles all around us. There is hate, bullying, illness, poverty, and death. We struggle with the current trauma and also with the past trauma. We struggle to forgive others, and sadly, we often struggle to forgive ourselves.
Grief comes in many forms, and when it is not expressed and processed, it hardens our hearts. It is healthier and functional to release this pain on a personal, communal, and global level. To be able to open our hearts again, we need to learn how to put the grieving process within the proper frequencies which allow transformation and growth.
If you are feeling sorrowful even though there are no recent losses in your life, then it is likely that your old grief was never fully processed. Sometimes the emotional healing process is not limited to the time sitting and thinking about your daily life. As the old grief fades in intensity, you will feel released from your past. In the meantime, just be easy and patient with the process and know that grief doesn’t hold a timestamp.
Ann Sousa
Memorial is scheduled for November 13, 2021 and can be attended virtually.
