Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Grief cleanse

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


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