author's note: For this essay on The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, I used the prompt on how many different types of love there is in someone's life, but there seems to be only one definition for the word. Also I discussed how Susie's fathers grieving process affected the family and about how each person deals with death differently. Although this is a shorter essay, I feel that I made my point about individuality with love and grief.
Love and Grief
Looking down on the Earth that I left, my family, lover, and murderer is all I see. Watching their lives go on without me, I miss them but know that I will not see them for what seems like an eternity. What everyone on Earth doesn't realize is that when you die life doesn't end, it changes, sometimes for the better other times, for the worse. My heaven consists of a gazebo, new friends, and the little things that bring joy to my life. I make due with what I have while watching over my loved ones wishing I could feel the heat of their skin, the smell of their breath. At some point in everyone's life death will happen, the choice is ours whether to embrace it or to have regrets about the life we lived on Earth. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold makes the reader question their faith and the truth of what happens when we die, it shows that even when we pass, life will go on without us.
When Susie was murdered it hit her family hard but her father was so utterly confused by the situation that he couldn't seem to move on after her death. He handled the situation by keeping all of her belongings, never entering her bedroom, and breaking the ships in a bottle that Susie and himself had spent hours on, almost as if he was breaking the memories he shared with her. Life went on without his beautiful daughter yet he still felt her presence lingering in the air around him. Her soul, her eyes, everything about her seemed like it was as clear as yesterday. After his wife left him all hope seemed lost, two of the women that he loved most in his life were now gone and one was sure to never come back. Everyone deals with their grieving process in different ways, Jack wanted to cover up his feelings by destroying all the memories he shared with Susie, without memories it was like Susie didn't exist. Death happens in every family, we can be angry about the loss of a loved one, or be thanking God for being able to have them enter our lives.
There are many different types of love, friendship, family, and the fairytale story of the prince and princess. The Greeks have 5 words to express all the love we have in our relationships. Susie had so many people in her life that loved her, for so many different reasons, Ray Singh loved her unique style and individuality while her family loved just about everything about her. Love is beautiful, love is kind, and accepting but it is also fragile and in some cases it is smashed into hundreds of pieces. When Susie died it seemed as though everyone's heart went cold, the black empty hole would never be filled, but a light shined and people learned to move on while still remembering the memories they had with her. Love is a powerful emotion with happiness and sadness but it is one of the most nurturing experiences we will ever know.
When tragedy strikes life changes for all those who are affected by it. Laughter and tears are shared throughout someone's passing but life goes on without them. Life will never be the same without a loved one, each persons grieving process is different and some learn to accept what's happened while others hold on to what seems like nothing and refuse to let go. During our lifetime losses are inevitable, but as long as we live life to the fullest and our time on Earth has come to an end, we will be reunited with the loved ones we lost.
