Exploring the Price of Grief in Life's Transitions

Paying Lifes Price

Principle 8 Principle 8 A man shapes the forest more than the forest shapes the man.

The price of grief reveals the value of things.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 1. The first loss is recognizing that my parents are different from me and the world will not always meet my needs immediately.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 2. The loss of moving outside my parent s direct support in order to relate to peers. The loss of leaving the security of home in order to go to school. 3.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 4. The loss involved in making the transition from elementary to Jr. High to Sr. High. Each school transition takes the individual from being a ruler to being a novice.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 5. The loss in leaving one s present environment to live elsewhere.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 6. The loss of other relationship options when married.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 7. The loss of a loved one through death, as their support, guidance, and love is no longer present.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 8. The loss of the security of one s employment in order to pursue an unknown opportunity.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 9. The loss of your children as they leave home and the level of contact and intimacy in these relationships changes.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 10. The loss of a child s focus on our opinions, interests, and tasks in order to pursue his/her own life independently.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 11. The loss of affirmation, social contacts, skill development, and intellectual stimulation at retirement.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. A. Grief is the price of living. No one gets through life without loss and some losses are seen as developmentally necessary. 12. The loss of physical strength and capabilities prior to one s death.

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. Kenji Miyazawa

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. B. Grief is the price of seeing. Denial is the only alternative to recognizing grief s reality.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. C. Grief is the price of attaching. Giving something of value creates an opportunity for grieving to occur. D. Grief is the price of relating to others. At times, others will choose to rightfully meet their own obligations and desires over yours.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. E. Grief is the price of caring. Everyone we chose to love is imperfect, and has the capacity to be self- absorbed and to hurt us. F. Grief is the price of trying. Every life adventure demands a toleration of failure.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. G. Grief is the price of personal growth. Growth demands that we say goodbye to the old ruts. H. Grief is the price of serving. Individuals don t always appreciate the effort of the giver.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. I. Grief is the price of empathy. As we feel what it is like to live in another s shoes, we will feel their pain. J. Grief is the price of connecting. To be part of a team is to have our opinions and ideas rejected.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. K. Grief is the price of loving. Grief is a response we choose as we sacrifice our desires for those of another.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. L. Grief is the price paid for dreaming. Our capacity to dream is greater than our ability to achieve. Lofty dreams often have aspects that are not fulfilled. M. Grief is the price paid for learning. You are able to recognize where you have been wrong or were lacking in knowledge.

I. Grief is part of many aspects of forest life. N. Grief is the price of submitting. Our faith system often causes disappointment, as God s ways are not always our desired ways. O. Grief is the price of believing. Not all will choose to believe in the same faith truths as you do.

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. Luke 19:41

II. Re-review the list above. On the line following each grief price grade each statement with a (1) or a (0).

1- Indicates that you are willing to pay the price of this specific grief in order to receive this attribute in your life. 0- Indicates that you would rather not have this characteristic, as you would have to pay the price of grief for obtaining it. Add up your scores. The total score indicates the amount of grief you are willing to experience, in order to develop the attributes mentioned in this chapter, within your life. Out of 15 possible points, what is your score?