The Fog of Grief covers a person soon after the death of a spouse, a loved one, the loss of a job, a home, a relationship, a pet, health, a rejection, and so many other losses that occur in our lives. The fog of grief may visit for an unspecified length of time, and may also revisit us at other times in our lives. What happens in this fog is that that the survivor feels disoriented in the world. It becomes difficult to concentrate, or to be wholly present as one navigates each day. The loss of control one feels after a death is dizzying. Often, this fog causes the survivor anxiety and it can be distressing if not understood. I would like to share my perspective of the fog of grief. One of my favorite landscape painters is J.M.W. Turner, an Englishman born in London in 1775, son of a barber. He is known as “the painter of light” and his work is regarded as a Romantic preface to Impressionism. His works are filled with luminosity, the abstract, and the raw beauty of nature. It is speculated that as a young boy Turner observed the play of water, steam and heat, on the mirrors of his father’s barber shop. Later in life, Turner used light and atmospheric mood to convey his vision more and more. He was inspired by nature and sought to convey evidence of the power of God (a theme artists and poets were exploring at this time) through light, concentrating the play of light on water, the radiance of skies and fires. His works are an expression of spirituality. He painted nature. He painted nature in fog. And it is beautiful! The fog of grief places us in a natural state that feels unnatural. What we feel is a suspension of time, a wrapping up of ourselves as though in a cocoon. We see life through a lens that is hazy, unclear. Our body and mind feel numb, unable to function normally. We seem to have been sequestered away in an unfamiliar place, secluded, and insulated without our consent. How can this be beautiful? What I do is call to mind Turner’s powerful, abstract paintings and what I learn from them. Nature has moods and shadings. God is present in all of nature. Have you ever walked in the early morning mist? If you do, you will experience a haze that covers you and veils objects in the distance. There is stillness and quietness in this place. Here, you are enveloped in a sacred space. Fog and cocoon are metaphors of nature for this place, and a this process occurring in your being following loss. You are in metamorphosis, you are being transformed. You are profoundly being changed internally from one stage to the next in your own unique life history. Walking through life in the fog is an awkward practice at first, but it is not without reward. Be mindful that you are in a sacred space. Let this space teach you to be still and allow yourself to simply be present, in this natural, yet unfamiliar existence. The fog will dissipate and the cocoon will eventually fade away. Objects in the distance will come into focus in time. Relax and breathe in your cocoon. Enjoy the safety and protection of it. Find the spiritual grounding that is being provided there for you. Meditate on one of Turner’s paintings and notice how he “stirringly and truthfully measures the moods of nature”. Know that you are in a natural place of beauty in the midst of a turbulent time of life. Sending light and love, Paula
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 17:46:38 +0000
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