The Cypress Maze

by Fiona Valpy

Francesca whispered. ‘I understand now that grief is love that has nowhere to go.

I think grief is a bit like that, I tell you. You become trapped in it and no one can really help you get out. Of course, other people can support you, keep you company, perhaps even distract you sometimes. But you have to go through the struggle yourself to become strong enough to survive life after loss.

Like a butterfly in a chrysalis, the struggle through my grief is a necessary part of being able to escape and leave it behind, helping me grow strong enough to spread my wings and fly again. I wonder

Talking can be painful too, sometimes, but it stops grief from sinking its roots down into the dark loneliness of silence and wrapping its tendrils around your heart.

grief is love that has nowhere to go. At last, I’m exploring new directions, finding the way, navigating the paths that will transform my grief into new love. Creating a map of my own making.