Grief on Grief... on Grief.

I'm not sure about you... but this week has felt like the longest week in the history of my 25-year-life.

2020 was the longest year. January 1st-8th, 2021 was the longest week.

I'm going to say right off the bat, I am not diving into politics on this post or anything of the sort. I'm not doing this to be cowardly, I'm doing this because I want everyone to feel like they can read and grieve and feel like this post is for them.

I'm sure we've all seen the seven stages of grief:

• Shock and denial. This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.

• Pain and guilt. ...

• Anger and bargaining. ...

• Depression. ...

• The upward turn. ...

• Reconstruction and working through. ...

• Acceptance and hope.

Whether we believe it or not, we are ALL grieving something. Maybe a LOT of things.

When my mom was diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma back in October, I went through each of these stages. There were days I wouldn't get out of bed until I absolutely had to (depression). There were days I would literally throw things at the wall and scream until my throat was physically in pain (anger). There were nights that I would sit and cry and convulse myself to sleep (pain).

This week has just been a SHOCK to the system. I thought we as a country would be past the shock... I thought that we'd moved into healing and acceptance and could rebuild.

What's the old saying? Things have to get worse before they can get better? How many times will it get worse before it gets better?

How many times are we going to have to watch the double-standard of how people of different colored-skins are treated by our protectors.

How many times are we going to let violence ensue because a small group of people didn't get their way?

How many times are we going to let ourselves shun the person next to us because they don't think like us or know what we know?

Something I've heard a lot from the team I cover lately when another player or coach is praising another player is that they "do the little things right."

In hockey, a defenseman does the little things well by taking care of their zone, throwing their body on the ice to defend their net. This prevents the other team from scoring. They may not show up on the stat sheet or the final score. But what they did mattered.

This is a loose and silly metaphor to explain how we can do the little things right. You can love the person next to you. You can step OFF of social media and send a heartfelt text or an email, checking in on someone you know. I have a friend in this market that does that on the regular... and although I am the WORST known texter on this earth, it means more to me that someone took the time to write out those words JUST for me.

Maybe... that person doesn't think like you. And maybe it would show even more courage to tell THAT person that you love them regardless.

We need people, we need community and we were not designed to walk this road of life alone.

Do the little things well. God bless.