Things That Break My Heart

This blog post unfortunately isn't about 'bliss' or happy things.

Recently I've experienced some things that truly make my heart ache.

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Divorce

Obviously this word alone sounds sort of painful,

but when you see firsthand the effects it has on families and individuals,

it makes me want to cry.

It took everything in me to not 'turn on the waterworks' yesterday at work.

Let me explain.

There was an older woman shopping for new clothes, and I asked her what the occasion for all of the new clothes was. She responded, "I'm getting a divorce." First of all, her answer sort of caught me off guard. I started getting teary-eyed, and it took everything in me to stop the tears. You're never exactly sure what to say when a stranger telling you of their divorce. I said how sorry I was, and then she elaborated by telling me she wanted some nice new clothes for dating. I instantly felt a deep sadness for this woman. Clearly she didn't want this. She went on to tell me how scared she was to date again, and I think that dating in your 20s is scary enough. I could not even imagine entering the 'dating scene' after years of marriage! I attempted comforting her by telling her that she will meet the perfect man when the time is right, but my heart was aching for this stranger.

I could only imagine the pain of divorce and the effects it has on a person.

My heart breaks for those who deal with divorce.

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Miscarriage

Recently I've read a few blog posts of young couples dealing with a miscarriage. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of losing an unborn child. Pregnancy is supposed to bring so much happiness and love into a life, and it just seems unfair when that's all taken away in an instant. My heart breaks for those who lose a child. Whether or not that child is unborn or not, miscarriage is such a sad and painful thing.

Again, there never seems to be the 'right' words for those who suffer a miscarriage. One of my husband's co-worker's wives experienced multiple miscarriages (we're talking more than 5 or 6) before finally giving birth to a healthy baby. Talk about faith! They never gave up trying, even through all the pain of loss. It makes me incredibly sad hearing about miscarriage, but it seems to be a part of life. As much as we may hate it, loss is part of life. That doesn't mean we won't weep for those we lose.

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Death

Life is something to celebrate, but of course that idea doesn't make the death of a loved one any easier at the moment. My heart breaks for those who have lost someone dear to them.

Lately I've been having more thoughts about my grandparents who I never had the pleasure of meeting. My mom's parents died, twenty days apart, when her and my aunt were just entering their teenage years. For whatever reason, recently I've been really wondering who they were. What kind of people were they? From the little I have heard, they were very kind and loving souls. I grieve for them, even though I never had the chance to meet them. How do you grieve the loss of someone you've never met? It's a strange thought, but it's possible I suppose.

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Sorry for all of the doom and gloom.

My heart may be a bit heavy as of lately.

All of these painful things break my heart.

If you've experienced some of these things recently, or are still dealing with the effects of them,

know that you are not alone.