The Many Faces of Grief

Open Doors

My brother-in-law Bob’s life changed suddenly when his wife Nicole took her life. He told me about finally being able to “let go”, to move on, to accept his loss… but never to forget. He now openly talks about the difficult event in his life. For Bob, grief is akin to a closet that is closed but never locked, and which still opens on occasion (often inadvertently and unexpectedly).

In this image, the dark doorframe represents those things with which one is not at ease, while the bright one represents pleasant memories. They’re in the background, symbolizing that he is now able to look forward.