The Healing Journey

August 17, 2023

“Lift up your two hands. Remember one is for helping others, while the other is for helping you. Give a helping hand to whoever needs help. I believe you need help too; give help to yourself!”
― Israelmore Ayivor

In our grief, we all need consolation, and it comes in different ways — a kind word, a sympathetic ear, or a compassionate gesture.

Carolyn Killian, Director of Bereavement for the Diocese of Bridgeport, says that even in our grief, we can be vessels of consolation for others. For others who have suffered a loss, for others who are facing a personal or family crisis, for others who have no one to listen to them.

These small gestures on our part will in some small way sore our own pain.

Killian says she has seen individuals find a short respite from their grief by volunteering or through activities related to their professional lives, which let them show care for others.

Volunteer work may help you on your healing journey, as long as it does not become a tactic to distract you from grieving, Killian says.

Always remember that a spirit of giving, compassion and caring can help all of us by focusing on the needs of others, who may be suffering as much as we are, if not more. And the first time you find yourself thinking about someone else’s pain, recognize this as a sign that you are starting to heal. There will be many people we meet on our healing journey. Some will be helping us and others will be helped by us.

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Strive to become “a vessel” for others. The biblical meaning of “vessel” is “a person whom God calls and uses for his purposes.”