The Secret of Prometheus

A friend-- A very good friend-- lost his father this week. The man had lived a good long life and died naturally, but as my friend told me, losing someone is always hard, even if the death ends prolonged suffering. We still must grieve, and each of us grieves in our own way.

As with most of life's important lessons, I learned what I understand of grieving from the ancient Greeks, specifically from the story of Prometheus.

The story goes that Prometheus took pity on humanity shivering alone in the dark. He stole fire from Mount Olympus and brought it down to Earth to shed light and warmth. As punishment he was chained to a boulder and each day a giant eagle rips out his liver.

But that's not quite all there is to it. Like all myths, if we look at it from a slightly different angle a whole new picture emerges. Like a masterpiece hidden under another painting, we must seek the true treasure of the myth in the layers underneath it's surface.

Here we begin the search by focusing on the punishment of Prometheus. Every day he suffers the pain of literally being ripped apart, but within this horror is a not so small miracle. Every day he suffers mortal wounds...but every night he heals. No matter how many times that eagle swoops down out of the sky, afterward the bleeding will stop, the wounds will seal themselves and the stolen tissue will grow back.

It is the same with grieving. The loss of a parent leaves us feeling as if we have been ripped apart. We are scattered and bloody, lost in the broken pieces that were once our lives. But like Prometheus, our wounds will heal. It make take time and it may leave scars, but the rifts will close and we will become ourselves again.

There is peace to be found on the other side of pain. This is the light that Prometheus brings.

Carrying a small ember of that scared flame can allow us to keep our hearts open and love without fear, knowing that no pain is too great, no outcome too horrible to be survived. Prometheus teaches us that we can face the worst the fates have to offer because we know with time we will heal. We will grow back. We will once again become whole.

The antidotes for cold, dark, and fear are warmth, light, and love, all held within that tiny flame. Let it glow, let it shine, and let yourself shine.

Death and grief are still terrible to face, but even the hardest, darkest path is more passable with a light bit of light.

Ms. Betty