George Chapman
Give me a spirit that on this life’s rough sea
Loves to have his sails filled with a lusty wind
Even till his sailyards tremble, his masts crack,
And his rapt ship runs on her side so low
That she drinks water, and her keel ploughs air;
There is no danger to a man that knows
What life and death is, – there is no law
Exceeds his knowledge: neither is it lawful
That he should stoop to any other law.
Episode 118: Navigating the Grieving Swamp – A Personal Journey
In this heartfelt episode of “Journey from Grief to Healing,” I take you back to my childhood in southeastern Massachusetts, where summer days were spent picking wild blueberries in the Hockomock Swamps. These memories serve as a poignant metaphor for the journey through grief—a path often filled with loneliness, fear, and uncertainty.
Join me as I recount those early experiences of wandering the swamps, sometimes feeling lost and alone, much like the overwhelming emotions that accompany grief. We’ll explore the powerful lyrics of Brenda Lee’s 60’s hit “All Alone Am I” and how they resonate with the feelings of isolation many experience after a loss.
Through personal anecdotes and reflections, I’ll share how gratitude has been a guiding light out of the swamp of grief. Learn about the importance of moving forward, even when the path is unclear, and the transformative power of connecting with others and expressing gratitude.
Discover practical steps to embrace gratitude daily, inspired by the uplifting words of American poet e.e. cummings, and find encouragement to continue your journey toward healing. This episode is a reminder that, while the grieving process is deeply personal and often solitary, hope and recovery are possible.
Frank Lebby Stanton
Ef you strike a thorn or rose,
Keep a-goin’!
Ef it hails, or ef it snows,
Keep a-goin!
‘Taint no use to sit an’ whine,
When the fish ain’t on yer line;
Bait yer hook an’ keep a-tryin’—
Keep a-goin’!
When the weather kills yer crop,
Keep a-goin’!
When you tumble from the top,
Keep a-goin’!
S’pose you’re out of every dime,
Bein’ so ain’t any crime;
Tell the world you’re feelin’ prime—
Keep a-goin’!
When it looks like all is up,
Keep a-goin’!
Drain the sweetness from the cup,
Keep a-goin’!
See the wild birds on the wing,
Hear the bells that sweetly ring,
When you feel like sighin’ sing—
Keep a-goin’!
Felicia Dorothea Hemans
Droop not, my Brother! I hear a glad strain—
We shall burst forth like streams from the winter-night’s chain;
A flag is unfurl’d, a bright star of the sea,
A ransom approaches, we yet shall be free!
Where the pines wave, where the light chamois leaps,
Where the lone eagle hath built on the steeps,
Where the snows glisten, the mountain rills foam,
Free as the falcon’s wing, yet shall we roam.
Where the hearth shines, where the kind looks are met,
Where the smiles mingle, our place shall be yet!
Crossing the desert, o’ersweeping the sea,
Brother, brave Brother! we yet shall be free!
To find a mountain path all by oneself gives a greater feeling of strength than to take a path that is shown. ~ Karen Horney
Sometimes we want something so badly only to be disappointed. Disappointment doesn’t mean we lost or failed. It only means the one specific thing we wanted wasn’t available to us at this moment. It was some one else’s turn. A different way to think about it is to reflect on why we wanted it. What was it that excited us? If we still feel the juice for what we badly wanted, we can ask ourselves what we are willing to sacrifice to get what we wanted. If we’re not willing to make the needed sacrifice, we don’t have enough juice. It’s best to cast aside the disappointment and search for something that sets our hearts afire.
Even when opportunity knocks, a man still has to get up off his seat and open the door. ~ Douglas MacArthur
If you want to be the best you have to do things that other people aren’t willing to do. ~ Michael Phelps
It’s true, successful people do what unsuccessful people don’t want to do. Sometimes it’s working harder. Sometimes it’s not letting failure stop you. Sometimes, it’s asking for advice or help. All times it’s holding on and refusing to let go, not letting anything shake you loose from going after your goal. C’mon, you’ve got the right stuff. Don’t let anyone tell you different. Prove it by doing the things that other people aren’t willing to do.
Maya Angelou
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Bad dogs barking loud
Big ghosts in a cloud
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Mean old Mother Goose
Lions on the loose
They don’t frighten me at all
Dragons breathing flame
On my counterpane
That doesn’t frighten me at all.
I go boo
Make them shoo
I make fun
Way they run
I won’t cry
So they fly
I just smile
They go wild
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
Tough guys fight
All alone at night
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
Panthers in the park
Strangers in the dark
No, they don’t frighten me at all.
That new classroom where
Boys all pull my hair
(Kissy little girls
With their hair in curls)
They don’t frighten me at all.
Don’t show me frogs and snakes
And listen for my scream,
If I’m afraid at all
It’s only in my dreams.
I’ve got a magic charm
That I keep up my sleeve
I can walk the ocean floor
And never have to breathe.
Life doesn’t frighten me at all
Not at all
Not at all.
Life doesn’t frighten me at all.
When a storm blows, you must stand firm. For it is not trying to knock you down, it is really trying to teach you to be strong. ~ Joseph M. Marshall III
