Grief is Not a Normal Wound

I am taking the time to reflect back on my experiences last week. Somehow I felt I was immune to episodes of intense grief. Don’t ask me why I felt that way. Maybe it was because I seemed to be doing fine, healing each day, the pain lessening when grief did surface like a normal wound does in time. I learned that grief is not a normal wound. And I looked around me, and no one else seemed to be having difficulty with grief. I haven’t done this before, so how I was supposed to know how sneaky grief can be? Yet, as the week progressed, I felt this nagging apprehension. Something was brewing, but I didn’t realize it at the time. It was much like an approaching storm: the wind started whipping, the clouds got darker, the animals took shelter. And here I was, oblivious as anything, obviously not having watched the forecast. It hit hard. Category 5. It felt like Cory had just died the day before. I was completely overwhelmed. What just hit me and why? I thought. But the universe has its methods, and they don’t always seem logical. They just ARE. I survived the storm. Now and then the storm’s effects still linger, but I made it through, ready to go on experiencing all that life has for me for whatever reasons. And I am grateful for all that life is teaching me today.

Grief is Not a Normal Wound
About the Artist
Denise Roussel is an author, mother of three grown children, a grandmother and a happily married wife of 32 years. When asked, “What do you do?” Denise responds, “I inspire people.” Denise's son Cory Roussel died at the age of 27 in October 2014, which set in motion an awakening and transformation as she goes through the grief of the loss of her son. To pass along Cory's legacy of love and compassion, Denise has formed an organization, Cory's Dream: Be the Change, where she hopes to inspire others to be love, be compassion, be present, be authentic. Since Cory's passing, she has published four books, all available on Amazon: "The Seed Collection", "Beyond This Space: My Son Cory's Story and How He Changed My Life", "The Way Out: A Guide to Being Free From the Prison of Your Mind", "Do You See What I See?" She uses her gifts of speaking, writing and hospitality to fulfill her life’s purpose of showing love and compassion, and in so doing she helps others in their journeys.