The Roller Coaster Ride
“What is this roller coaster, a nightmare,
Or is it part of my journey from here to there?”
One of the lessons that grief walking teaches us is this: When facing a significant loss or transition (not just a death) in our lives, our emotions generally go for a wild roller coaster ride.
The highs can be identified as happy, glad, joy. The lows can be identified as lonely, sad, mad. At one moment you can feel a high and then suddenly, without warning, the roller coaster dips to an unbelievable low. As you experience the rapid free-fall from high to low you throw your hands in the air, you try to contain your scream but generally give up and let it all out. Or, you grip the safety bar holding you in and everything inside just plain tenses up!
Needless to say, there are some jerky curves along the way as you start another ascent from the pit to yet another high. These reality jerks assure you that you survived the low and that, whether you like it or not, you are alive and are preparing for the next experiences of your roller coaster journey through life.
The rhythm continues until the end comes and a new normal is established.
As I reflect on our life at Hendricks Regional Health, I realize that in part we are in a state of anticipatory grief walking, prepare for a major transition next week. So for today, I will claim that I am anticipating some grief walk and I will brace my emotional self for the lonely, sad, mad part of my roller coaster ride.
Enjoy your weekend and enjoy next week’s roller coaster!
--Ben Keckler
02.24.12
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