The "Chaconne" chapter offers, in part, an alternative to the "five stages of grief " as a model for how we come to terms with loss.
In your own experience of grief, does it tend to take the form of a linear progression ("stages") or, as the author says, of "iterative, circular variations, different feelings and memories buried within one another"? Why or why not?
4. Does your experience of grief feel more linear or circular, like Hodges describes?
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smkelly
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lanlynk
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Re: 4. Does your experience of grief feel more linear or circular, like Hodges describes?
I've experienced some of the traditional stages of grief, but not strictly in a linear fashion. My grief seems to appear in more circular ways. I've accepted the loss of loved ones, but grief still rises up now and then, sometimes when I least expect it.
For example, once when a new friend asked about my family, I suddenly broke into tears as I told her my mom had died seven years before. I can't even point to anything triggering that sharp emotion. I also still dream about my sister, who passed away in 2012. I dream that I'm searching for her and can't find her anywhere.
So, the author's comparison of feelings to phrasing in a musical composition makes sense to me. The repeated phrase is felt and recognizable within its musical variations. Likewise, grief--really any emotion--is felt by each of us despite the differences in our personal experiences.
For example, once when a new friend asked about my family, I suddenly broke into tears as I told her my mom had died seven years before. I can't even point to anything triggering that sharp emotion. I also still dream about my sister, who passed away in 2012. I dream that I'm searching for her and can't find her anywhere.
So, the author's comparison of feelings to phrasing in a musical composition makes sense to me. The repeated phrase is felt and recognizable within its musical variations. Likewise, grief--really any emotion--is felt by each of us despite the differences in our personal experiences.