Fall – A Time of Remembrance

This is the time of year when we are immersed in all the trappings of Fall. Beautiful colors, pumpkins and leaves, and Halloween tricks and treats tell us we are celebrating a change in season. I’ve heard the debate often at this time of year, “What’s your favorite season?” and inevitably someone will say, “I like Spring better because everything is coming alive and the Fall reminds us things are dying out for the winter.”

I happen to be one who loves the process of Fall when things become vibrant and beautiful just before they return to the earth. I won’t say die because the trees are just dormant. There is still life present in the trees and grass as they become brown and appear lifeless.

In my faith community this is the time of year when we remember those who have died. It seems like a fitting time to connect our personal losses with the change of seasons. Losing someone to death is a difficult reality most of us face at some time in our lives. Grief can change our perspective and ability to recognize the life that still remains.

I was once listening to a person on NPR who was part of a support group for people who had lost a child. He said grieving the death of a child was like having a second full time job. Getting up every day and putting one foot in front of the other and accomplishing all of those activities of daily living took enough energy to be considered a full time job. So is the labor of grief. I wish I could say there was a way to avoid the difficult labor of loss/grief. I don’t believe that it is possible but I will say enlisting help will sometimes lighten the load. Knowing you are not alone in the process, being able to express your loss, and celebrating the good memories of the ones who have died can possibly lighten the burden.

Every year Lynchburg College has a Service of Remembrance. We gather with our community to remember loved ones we know who have died. This year it will be on Monday the 4^th of November at 10 p.m. in Snidow Chapel on campus. Please come and light a candle for someone you have lost and/or support others who are grieving. You may be able to “lighten” the labor of grief.

Kay