As I sat on the sand staring off at the ocean and the waves rolling in, I couldn’t help but notice a very small sand crab next to me. She was hard to see because she blended into the sand . At first I saw that she was just standing there. Then as I looked closer , I saw that she ran  back into her hole in the sand. A  few minutes later she came out again. Then again she ran back into her hole. Then I noticed she began to repeat this over and over. The interesting part was that every time she came out she would go just a little farther each time while looking towards the ocean. I had another “ prompting” as I continued to watch her. She reminded me so much of what dealing with grief has been for me. I could hear deep inside my heart “ This crab is you”. She knows it’s safe and easy to stay inside her dark hole in the sand , but she sees the beauty in the outside world. What is drawing her out and what is bringing her back inside her hole? 

So many thoughts and questions come when a person goes through grief. As I watched her go out and then run back inside and then go back outside just a little farther each time , I was reminded that grief is such a personal journey, and it is very different and unique for each one of us. It’s so important to give each other love and time to heal in our own way with no judgment or expectation. I believe our role is to hope and pray that the grieving person can find a way out of that dark hole back into the light in their own time. 

I could have so easily missed this beautiful moment . It also reminded me that we all need to be kind to ourselves when we are on our very personal journey of grief. I am very thankful for this little” crab moment”.