Humans are not good at talking about hard things. And break ups are particularly difficult to discuss because with so many other terrible things in the world–death, disease, war, injustice–a break up doesn’t seem like it should be a big deal.
But break ups are a big deal. If you need something to get you through, I highly recommend writing a poem. My poems became a way to communicate. Of course, I didn’t invent this practice of writing poetry to get through the tough times. You may have heard of a little book called the Bible which is filled with poems of heartbreak, loss and confusion.
So if you’re going through a break up, here are three things you should know:
- You don’t have to just get over it.
- You don’t have to regret anything.
- You will also be fine. Believe me.
What practices do you have to help yourself through tough times?
This message was adapted from “Zombies and other tales about my ex: On breaking up, writing poems and getting through” by Sarah Carson, in Cafe, May 2016. Today we remember Bartolomé de Las Casas, missionary to the Indies, who died in 1566.
Daily Grace has been offering you things to ponder and things to pray about for more than 10 years. For free. Women of the ELCA provides many other free online resources, too—see welca.org/resources. Please support Women of the ELCA at welca.org/give.