The Beauty of Loss

We have all lost someone or something we care about. It’s part of life.

Loss doesn’t have to mean death. A loss may be losing a job. Or the use of a car because of an accident. Or the loss of a dream. Loss can mean success too.

It’s often said when one door closes, another opens. 

 

Think of someone you know that passed away. Yes, that was a loss for you. They lost their life. Now think about the good. They are no longer in pain or suffering. They don’t have to worry about bills or what they’re going to eat next. You don’t have to worry about what you’ll get them for Christmas.

After they passed and you cried your eyes out, you were able to focus on the memories you had with them. The time you rode the motorcycle in the rain. On the interstate. With shorts on. The time he was 2 hours late picking you up at the airport. You almost got one the next plane home. Your luggage did. So you two went shopping for clothes for you for the next week. You hold on to the “Life’s a beach” tank top for 30 plus years.

Even though that person is gone, your life is somehow more enriched. You appreciate the brevity of life. You’re more aware of the shallowness of pieces of your life. You have more compassion for others. You drive with your headlights on for safety in their memory and because they did. You know now how strong you are. The things he said that made a difference in your life – you pass those on to your kids.

When you master a task at work, you move on to master another. Processing accounts payable became tedious and monotonous maybe. After all, you have done it for 7 years.

Then someone leaves the company and you are given the responsibility of all the billing. Now you have a new challenge – heck it’s all fresh and exciting. You create your own systems to make it all work. You become faster and more efficient every time you do it.

Let’s say you have a dream of playing baseball for the pros. You have worked and practiced since you were five years old to get there. You’ve played all the positions and did pretty well. All your coaches since Little League were well aware of your dream. You told them a million times if you told them once. In high school, you even try your hand at coaching so you know the other side. There’s no stopping you now. Until you fall out of the tree you’re building your little sister a tree house in and shatter your leg and break your pelvis in 3 places. You’ll walk again with no problem. But sliding into home base, no chance.

You’ve lost your dream. You accept it, grieve for it and go back to living your life. It hurts worse than the broken bones. But now what? Remember that secret dream you didn’t tell very many people about? The one about being a graphic designer? Guess what? Now you can work towards that dream. Taking the classes and tossing your ideas out to companies and seeing what comes of it. Wow. How exciting! Maybe you can even redesign the MLB’s website. Then maybe of the teams will hire you to re-do their look too. It’s almost like living two lives in one!

My point is yes it hurts to lose. I've lost enough to know. But when the pain has dulled and your life is a new normal you realize that loss brings an opportunity you may not have had otherwise. 

     To every thing there is a seaon and a time to every purpose under heaven...
     A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance...
     A time to get and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away...