At Half Mast

A perfect gift to the grieving. "I passed the waiting room on my way out. Filled with small scratches and ridiculous hypochondriacs. Outside the autumn sun made an honest attempt to warm me. Unsuccessfully. Then I noticed. The world had changed. I found myself in a trivial season in a parking lot in the midst of completely trivial cars. Outside a trivial hospital where all the hospitalized had the great privilege of not being dead yet in common. Two girls passed by me. Deeply buried in one of their mobiles. Angry tears came to my eyes. Didn't they understand that time stood still? That the rug had been pulled out from under common sense? That happiness had turned into graveness? Quickly I got into my car and drove off into my new adult world. My new unprotected and very adult world". Grief can be experienced - and processed in many different ways but mourners sometimes face unspoken rules and regulations from the surroundings: How long, should you bear your grief? How long should you wait before you remarry? When is it acceptable to go to work again or participate in social arrangements? What is the appropriate attire for the funeral? Your bystanders may have an opinion but remember, that the grief is yours - as well as the decision on how to deal with it. Your grief is unique - like the person in your life who passed on. Mette Marklund