In 2024, I experienced my fair share of grief, but thankfully, grief looks a lot different than it once did. When my father passed, I was a young woman, but mentally, I was still very much a child, and I handled grief a lot differently than I do now. The beautiful thing about grief is this— peace comes in surrender, and there’s always joy on the other side of this thing we call grief. The sooner we allow ourselves to grieve, the sooner we can move on to all the wonderful things God has for us.

“The Gift of Grief” is inspired by a poem I wrote last year, and this pastel painting is available for purchase in my Etsy Shoppe and EBay Store.

kamillestreasures.etsy.com

eBay.com/usr/kamillegrace16

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I can’t cry any more tears,

but I want to heal.

So I’ll sit in this chair

and paint what I feel.

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If blue were a person,

she’d be both soft and bold.

She’d be beautiful forever

even when she grew old.

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She’d wear surrender and peace,

covered head to toe.

The arms of her Lord

is the place she would go.

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If blue were a person,

she’d want you to know,

to grieve is a gift;

to grieve is to grow.

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Grief comes in many forms—

some cry; some yell.

Some run away from

what they deem to be Hell.

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That used to be me;

I won’t try to lie.

I refused to feel pain;

I refused to cry.

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So I ran to medication;

I ran to be free.

I ran to the arms of men

who would never love me.

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But I’m not that person anymore;

I let myself feel.

Those feelings I used to run from,

that’s how I heal.

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So I’ll pick up these paints

when I’ve run out of tears.

I’ll paint through my pain;

I’ll face all my fears.

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If blue were a person,

she’d want you to know

grieving is a gift;

it’s how we let go.