Why oh why would I be thankful for grief?  I am so glad you asked.  Initially, I was anything but grateful for my grief.  It was a dark, dark, cloud that hung over my head.  It was an unbelievably heavy load that I had to carry.  It made me irritable.  It made me numb.  It ruled my life. When you lose people you love, folks always feel pressure to say the right thing.  To offer the right advice.  Sometimes even to share their own stories of loss.  It can be helpful but many times it was not for me.  I just was not in a place to receive it.  Parts…