When we feel threatened, our instinct is to flee and outrun danger or discomfort.
The instinct to flee also arises when we are faced with pain, emotional distress, grief and situations that overwhelm us. We try to outrun them.
I have tried to do it, so I can see it in others. We have all been in this situation many times.
We can slip into denial, numb our feelings, avoid the issue, physically move away, and bury ourselves in busyness, as there are all manner of avoidance routes available. Anything to make the pain go away.
The sad truth is, the pain is there, and we can't outrun it. It will find us, and at some point, we will come face-to-face with it.
We trust that life will show us where to turn for help, who we can show our vulnerability to and how to find support when we stop running.
Many people cross my path as I try to be of service to them in their time of grief and offer support as they face the inevitability of a funeral service.
The day of the service may or may not be a time when they feel able to turn and face their grief, as each of us is an individual and we all have our unique way of dealing with things. I am not there to make anyone face anything, but I am there to support and help where I can.
Creating the words for a celebration of life ceremony, I am sometimes asked to honour a loved one's sense of humour and not to make it sad. It's a delicate balance because the last thing anyone wants is a parody or to make anyone feel worse, yet there needs to be a soft energy, a reflection of the essence of the loved one we are honouring.
Despite every challenge we face, it is always loving energy that brings us back to ourselves and support comes in many ways.