In the midst of grief, can you feel thankful?

I do a lot of teaching and have one slide in my PowerPoint presentation that lists thankfulness as a symptom of grief and loss. When I open it up to the audience they usually comment that perhaps the bereaved is thankful that their loved one is no longer in pain or is no longer suffering. And that may be very true, but there is more.

A few years ago I heard Ted Bowman speak on Thankfulness for Grief and Grieving: Exploring Paradoxes. Mr. Bowman linked thankfulness and grieving, not by minimizing the pain and suffering that is experienced during grief, but by encouraging grievers to pay attention to thankfulness in the midst of grieving. Click here to read more.