November 8 2021

Grief, grace and gratitude have many connections. As I wrote last week, when we lose what we’re grateful for we grieve. When we’re grieving, we experience moments of gratitude. And grace is present in both the grief and the gratitude. But grace is a curious concept. As Anne Lamott wrote, “I do not understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.” Sometimes others offer us grace – empathy, a kindness, forgiveness or generosity. Sometimes grace seems to blow in from nowhere and leave us feeling whole in times of brokenness. Perhaps life itself is grace. I think of grief, grace and gratitude of three strands crossing and connecting with one another in the same braid, the braid of life.