Enduring bereavement can feel like an extremely lonely and isolated time for many people. It can be difficult to fathom out any way to gain some sort of comfort – we are all different, and we all gain comfort in times of grief in different ways and within different time frames.
One thing that does seem to connect with many people is words.
A short phrase or sentence can find a way to deeply resonate with us, whether constructed very simply or pieced together beautifully by a talented poet.
What these words often offer us in times of grief is much-needed inspiration and comfort.
Quotes To Help You Cope With Grief
Below, we highlight 6 famous and powerful quotes that relate to bereavement and that could potentially serve the inspiration and comfort you have been seeking to build strength during your journey with grief.
These quotes are from a variety of talented writers who are no longer with us, all of whom published words that we believe resonate strongly with bereavement.
Below, we highlight 6 famous and powerful quotes that relate to bereavement and that could potentially serve the inspiration and comfort you have been seeking to build strength during your journey with grief.
These quotes are from a variety of talented writers who are no longer with us, all of whom published words that we believe resonate strongly with bereavement.
1. C. S. Lewis – British Writer & Lay Theologian (1898 – 1963)
No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.
C. S. Lewis was a Belfast born British writer and lay theologian who held academic position in English literature at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He found fame through fictional novels, such as ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The Space Trilogy’.
In 1956, Lewis married Joy Davidman, an America poet, and just 4 years later in July 1960, she sadly passed away prematurely aged 45 years old.
Lewis suffered tremendous grief following the death of his wife, and soon published a book expressing his deep sadness and feelings of loss and bereavement.
Today, it is still a fantastic piece that contains many meaningful quotes and phrases that continues to connect with people experiencing grief.
2. Emily Dickinson – American Poet (1830 – 1886)
Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.
Emily Dickinson is a very important and highly regarded name in the world of American literature.
Dickinson’s writings were often about death, grief, and the loss of those closest to us, but we’ve selected this short quote from her in particular as it provides plenty of comfort to those grieving with just a few powerful words.
3. William Shakespeare – English Playwright, Poet & Actor (1564 – 1616)
Grief makes one hour ten.
Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.
I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends.
Arguably the most famous playwright and poet of all time – and with good reason.
William Shakespeare’s work is still widely admired across the globe all these centuries later because they capture the human experience and the array of emotions we feel.
You will happen across a huge catalogue of inspirational quotes by simply reading or watching several of his plays. Many of them strongly relate to death, grief, and the bereavement process.
We have chosen these select few as we believe they are among Shakespeare’s most profound and to the point.
4. Helen Keller – American Author, Disability Rights Advocate, Political Activist & Lecturer (1880 – 1968)
What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
Helen Keller was an extraordinary woman who lost both her sight and hearing after suffering an illness not long after she was born. Keller later learned to speak, read, and write through the help of a teacher named Anne Sullivan.
The two became very close friends and companions, and Keller’s words of inspiration relating to death and the loss of something meaningful to us help remind us that we will always be connected in some way to everything we experience through life.
5. Leo Tolstoy – Russian Writer (1828 – 1910)
Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.
Often regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time, Leo Tolstoy received consecutive annual nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature between 1902 to 1906, and further nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902 and 1909.
Tolstoy was also a historian and author of ‘War and Peace’ – one of the most widely read books in history.
Many of Tolstoy’s publications are glorious with many comforting and inspiring quotes that relate to the grief we face following the loss of a loved one.
6. John Steinbeck – American Writer & Nobel Prize In Literature Winner (1902 – 1968)
It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.
John Steinbeck is certainly one of the finest writers from the recent 20th century. Famous for writing many of the world’s most celebrated books, such as ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘The Grapes of Wrath’, he was also often referred to as ‘a giant of American letters’.
This specific quote we have included here was written by Steinbeck following the death of a very close friend, Ed Ricketts, in 1946.
We believe it can resonate strongly with many people who are working their way through the bereavement process as it offers a form of comfort, reflection, and appreciation for just how lucky they were to have had that person in their life to begin with.
Here at C.J. Ball & Son, we offer a wide range of memorials to help you honour a lost loved one.
From headstones and cremation memorials, through to full kerb sets, vases, and more – our highly skilled memorial masons can craft and engrave any bespoke design of your choosing.
Feel free to browse through our selections, where we have plenty of quality memorial offers available.
We also offer a variety of expert memorial services across Barry and surrounding areas of South Wales, including memorial insurance, memorial maintenance, additional memorial inscriptions and much more.
To discuss your requirements, don’t hesitate to contact our team today by calling 01446 734 607, e-mailing info@cjballmemorials.co.uk or by completing our online contact form.
