In "Unlocking the Mystery of Grief," Cam Taylor suggests the "grief cleanse," a specialized form of grief journalling, that he credits to Christina Rasmussen. This is a seven-step process repeated over seven days, mostly asking, "Grief, will you come out and speak to me?":
Step one - ask, Grief, will you come out and speak to me?
Step two - gauge your resistance
Step three - why should I do this?
Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer
Step five - what did I find surprising
Step six - grief will you come out and speak to me?
Step seven - is there anything God wants to say to me?
So, I've done it.
Rasmussen/Taylor "Grief Cleanse" - Day one
Step one - ask, Grief, will you come out and speak to me?
Step two - gauge your resistance
- no particular resistance or expectations, possibly 4/10
Step three - why should I do this?
- let no one say that I am unwilling to try any unverified and unsupported suggestion that anybody makes to me about my grief and/or psyche.
Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer
- crying
Step five - what did I find surprising
- unsurprising
Step six - grief will you come out and speak to me?
- no response
Step seven - is there anything God wants to say to me?
- unsurprisingly, no response
"Grief Cleanse" - Day 2
Step one - ask, Grief, will you come out and speak to me?
Step two - gauge your resistance
- 2/10
Step three - why should I do this?
- recover anything I've forgotten or missed?
Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer
- no response
Step five - what did I find surprising
- how quickly resistance is fading
Step six - grief will you come out and speak to me?
- no response
Step seven - is there anything God wants to say to me?
- apparently not
Day 3
Step two - gauge your resistance
- 1/10
Step three - why should I do this?
- (so far not much point? Simply completing task?)
Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer
- note random moments in Hallmark movies trigger grief bursts?
Step five - what did I find surprising
- low expectations, but surprisingly little benefit/insight so far
Day 4
- no reponse
Day 5
Step three - why should I do this?
- sheer desperation?
Day 6
- no reponse
Day 7
see above