January 10, 2024
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
— Charles Dickens
On your journey toward healing, it’s very important to watch for what Director of Bereavement Carolyn Killian calls “the first glimmer of hope.” When you experience it, that doesn’t mean your journey is over, because sometimes it can take a lifetime — a lifetime of growth and change.
Carolyn stresses the importance of regularly journaling to chronicle the times you are lonely or sad. All these feelings, which are normal, will have an impact on your daily life once you begin returning to your routine. Sometimes you will deal with them successfully, and other times, you won’t. However, whenever you have such an encounter, consider it an occasion for learning.
Months and even years later, when you look back on what you’ve written, it may bring back painful memories, but it will also show you those occasions where someone was there to help, where you gained a new perspective on what you were going through, and give you a new appreciation for what others who came after you are facing. Through sharing your personal experiences, you can make their journey a little bit easier. You will be walking it with them, if only for a brief time.
As Carolyn says, you should watch for glimmers of hope. For example, when someone lifted you and, equally important, when you lifted someone else up and realized that your small act of kindness made a difference. On those occasions, you are looking outside yourself and helping others in need of compassion and empathy.
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Watch for your first glimmer of hope … and believe it will be followed by others.
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