The Seasons of Grief

By: Robyn Busekrus

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Seeing the flowers bloom at this time of year brings joy.
The anticipation of the colors unfolding ushers a sense of excitement. Seasons bring changes
in the weather and in our surroundings. Grief also brings changes in the seasons in our lives.

There are two seasons of the year that I experience grief more so. The season we lost our son
and the season we anticipated our son’s arrival or true due date. Fall used to be my favorite
season. Since we lost our son in the fall season, fall does not seem the same to me. I still
enjoy the cooler weather, comfy clothes and colors. However, it does not have the true fall
feeling. I think I have a better appreciation of all of the seasons because like grief seasons
ushers in times of beauty, calm, storms and wonder.

When I look at our trees in our woods in Spring, I think of the buds growing and then
blossoming. When fall transitions to winter, the leaves float downward in the cool breeze and I
see the emptiness of the branches. I ponder the beauty that is to come in the Spring when the
leaves appear again.

Seasons give us opportunities to experience the ups and downs with each season. In Fall, we
feel the cool breezes while we see the beauty fall to the ground with the leaves. Winter
provides us with the glistening snow and the wonder of the season. Winter also brings
dreariness during that season. Spring announces itself with the unfolding of flowers and new
life in nature. It also brings rain and storms that can cause fear. Summer gives us the time to
be more at ease with vacations and summer fun. It also brings weather that may be
uncomfortable…just like grief…summer can be uncomfortable.

Grief is something we will not fully understand. We grieve for things that did not happen. We
grieve for the could have been opportunities. We grieve for the things that did happen, but the
outcome was not what we wanted.

Seasons also have pieces that make our grief journey a mosaic of feelings. Our grief journey
will not be complete. It will have ups and downs. It will have beauty and sadness. The journey
will continue to cycle through the seasons.

Wishing you peace in the seasons of grief. May we find joy in our surroundings. May we hold
onto the beauty we encounter. May we realize that in the storms or dreariness, seasons will
change just as in our journey of grief.

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About Robyn Busekrus

Robyn Busekrus is a mom, wife, educator, and writer who makes her home in Washington, MO.  Losing her third son Hope in the second trimester of pregnancy, was an unexpected part of her life’s journey. Robyn’s blog www.robynsnestofhope.com chronicles the journey of loss and hope. Appreciating the little things in life, while holding onto faith each day is the message she wants to share with others.  Her interests include reading, home decorating, vintage markets, and community service.