Loss, Gratitude, & Beauty

“And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” – Kahlil Gibran

Every person on this planet has a few things in common. One of them is the fact that we are all born and we will all die. We will all lose loved ones and most of us will feel enormous pain from our losses. I lost two very important people in my life: My father when I was 16, and my dear friend Jules four years ago. I had the honor of being present at Jules’ death, and I witnessed the love, peace and beauty that occurs with this transition. No matter what your spiritual or religious beliefs are about where your spirit travels to after death, there is a shared commonality of grief, loss and sadness while we are all still here.

In November, we will be exploring death and the grief that accompanies it. Yes, this could be a depressing topic if you choose to look at this way. But I challenge each of you to shift your perception around the concept of death and transition and open your minds to seeing the beauty and gratitude that this experience can bring to each and every one of us. There are many gifts that loss brings to our lives. The gift of being in the moment; appreciating the connection and love among family and friends; and basically, “not sweating the small stuff”.

Another incredible gift I have found with my loss is Women For One’s Highlighted Organization of the Month – Soulumination. “Soul” is very near and dear to my heart. It is a small organization in Seattle, whose mission is to celebrate the lives of children and parents facing life-threatening conditions by providing professional photographs, free of charge, of these special individuals and their families. The life-affirming photographs of Soulumination are an enduring, positive record of the child’s brief life, and provide a loving legacy for the children of parents lost to terminal illness. Lynette Huffman Johnson, a very dear friend of mine, founded Soulumination and I am proud to be the President of the Board of this heartfelt organization. This month, we will tell you more about its evolution, interview Lynette and post some of the beautiful photos that our volunteer photographers have taken of the Soul Families.

In November, readers from the WF1 community will share their stories, life lessons and resources in the area of loss and grief. Our intent is to provide hope and resources to those going through the natural grieving process. I ask each of you to submit your thoughts, resources and perpective on this topic that is so close to all of our hearts.

With Great Respect and Love,
Kelly McNelis Senegor
Women For One