I thought life was one way, and now it’s another.
My old life is gone. Where? I don’t know.
My good friend is gone and took my heart with them.
I don’t know which way is up. I feel strange. Weird.
Why is grief so confusing?
For a moment, picture your life as a large spiderweb. Each strand of the web represents one of your relationships. Every strand is different.
Some strands are short, small, and thin, while others by comparison are long, large and thick.
Some strands are central to the entire web, while others are peripheral.
Some strands are strong, while others appear frail and weak.
Now, imagine that one of your strong, thick, central strands was suddenly severed. What would happen?
At best, your entire web would shake. At worst, the web would collapse on itself and be almost unrecognizable.
An important strand of your web has been severed. Your entire web is trembling with the shock. If the strand was central enough, you might even feel like your web is collapsing.
This is disorienting. Everything feels strange. Nothing is quite the same because you are no longer the same. Your web is different now.
The sheer number of changes that occur in your life from one loss is staggering. It’s like you’ve been transported to a different world – an alternate universe – but almost everything looks the same. But it’s not the same. It’s a different world for you.
That’s confusing.
If your world feels strange and surreal at present, please know that this is very common for grieving hearts. Breathe deeply. When massive change occurs, things naturally feel weird for a while – perhaps for quite some time.
Affirmation:
Things can be confusing because so much has changed. I’ll breathe deeply and accept that this confusing weirdness is part of the grief process.
Excerpt from The Grief Guidebook: Common Questions, Compassionate Answers, Practical Suggestions.
When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
(Psalm 94:18-19, NIV)
Question: Have you experienced confusion since your loss? Feel free to share by commenting below.
