Wednesday 26 May 2021

Eclipse

 Like the rest of the world, I kept rushing out to look at the moon last night. Alas my point & click camera couldn't focus on the red moon so I'm missing that picture to complete the set but it was a mesmerizing natural experience. 

In last year's Grieve anthology, there was a wonderful poem about how grief is like a sniper lining up his shot. I thought that was the most accurate image, because for me, it's not the birthdays or events when I feel the pain of loss, because I can steel myself in advance. It's when it hits me out of nowhere and I feel almost as if I've been punched. A little shock along with the pain.



Yesterday was one such day. I was looking at new release books and was surprised to see Ian Rankin had a new Rebus book out because I thought he'd died a few years ago. I then realised, it was actually my dad who had died, and with him, my need to buy him Rankin books for Christmas. 
Grief is sort of like an eclipse. The adjustment you've made to the loss is clouded over. There's a bit of confusion as the pain wells again. The dark hole of absence grows large again.

But you sit with it again and feel the pain. In awhile it slowly returns to the new normal. But until it does, you can't quite shake the sadness. Even years later.

Grief is an echo of love, and I guess in a weird way, it is a celebration of that person. We should always celebrate the love we shared, not focus on the loss that we're left with. That way, our heart returns to full, though it is a natural phenomena to be covered by darkness for awhile. One worth taking notice of, if not necessarily enjoyed. Grief is merely the moments when the pain covers the love and memories, the same love and memories which normally bring happiness and comfort because your heart is full of them. Grief is merely an eclipse of the heart.


Linking with #Ziegeunsdienenhimmel

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18 comments:

  1. Wow! Amazing captures,Lydia! And the perfect song to go with them!

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  2. Beautiful words ...sending love too

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  3. We missed what little of the eclipse over Florida because the sky clouded up just as it was beginning.

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  4. Grief can be a very long and dark journey, if we don't take the decision to go one with life! One of my expertise in the counseling room -Jesh

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  5. Grief must be surrendered to on its own terms. It's only then we find that grief is benign master, and from a dynast it becomes a friend, a helpmate, one who helps us move forward. If we surrender to grief we don't lose those we grieve for, our memories of them become stronger and our pain is assuaged. Grief may be an eclipse of love, yes, but remember the moon and sun look so beautiful when in total eclipse.

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  6. Your moonshots are wonderful. You must have a really powerful camera. Grief is an eclipse of the heart - love that

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  7. wonderful post and photos.

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  8. Your eclipse photos are so wonderful and your post about grief is poignant.

    -Soma

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  9. Great captures and fitting words. I really should get a proper camera!

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  10. As I said, lovely! Thank you for talking part in the "My Sunday Best" meme.

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  11. Greetings and Salutations! Subject grief. This should be a pamphlet including photographs to hand out at a wake or to a person experiencing a person who just died at the hospital or at a church service. Very well done.

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    1. What a lovely comment. You've made my day! Many thanks!

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  12. Absolutely gorgeous moon shots! Lots of food for thought regarding grief. I enjoyed the post.

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  13. Yes, that's right, sometimes sadness comes over us, like darkness, like a shadow that haunts us or like a shot that hits us out of the blue - you chose those words well. Ah, I can relate!
    The good old moon doesn't seem to be impressed by the darkness? You photographed him very nicely.

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