‘I wish you a life of great joy and great grief.’

I heard this sentence spoken by Scott Galloway on The Diary of a CEO and was struck by the poignancy and depth of the sentiment. And that you don’t hear this often, I mean when was the last time someone wished you great grief in your life.

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Grief as an asset.

Galloway was sharing about the grief he felt at the loss of his Mum, he described himself as a middle aged man who hadn’t gotten over the loss of his mother. He then went on to share how he had come to realise that his grief was a great asset rather than a liability that he had to overcome or fix.

He was touched by the emotion and the love that he felt for his mum and said that his grief was so great as the love had been so immense.

I found that a really touching thought. It got me thinking about love and grief.

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Almost losing my Dad.

Earlier in the year, we almost lost my Dad, the cornerstone of our family. He was in hospital and we were called in the middle of the night to say our goodbyes to him. In those moments of saying our goodbyes to this great man, I was struck by the depth of love that I felt for him and from him. I knew without question that I was loved by him and that I loved him very deeply. There was a certain peace in that.

My dad didn’t pass away, he is still here with us today, each day feels like a gift that we hadn’t expected earlier this year.

If he had passed away, the grief would have been immense, the most profound grief I will have ever experienced. After hearing that sentence ‘I wish you a life of great joy and great grief’. I realise that a great love will result in great grief.
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So while he is still here, I will continue to cherish and love him immensely, knowing that one day that love will be replaced by great grief.

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A simple reminder.

This letter is a reminder Reader, to cherish those you will grieve and love on them even more while they are still with you.
Because I too believe that great love creates great grief.

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And so (NAME), I wish you experience great joy and great grief in your life.
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Let’s love more deeply, more profoundly, more intently.
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With so much love to you Reader,

❤️ Emma

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P.s. Send this email to someone you love and remind them how much they mean to you! ❤️

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