There truly is a time and a season for everything. When someone is gone, you are grateful for the time you had with them. You are grateful for the periods of your life you were with them, and you grow to cherish that time. A period of our lives that people do not often cherish though, is a time to grieve.

Grieving is healthy and necessary. I feel though that grieving can bring many good things with it. For example, I feel that each time I grieve and feel that pain in my heart, it reminds me of how deep my love is for Parker. When I grieve, it is also a time when my heart and soul turn heavenward. It is a feeling that is so sincere and heartfelt, I truly cannot describe it. During those times I have received such meaningful and deep revelation to my heart's desires and questions, that I have grown to be thankful for the pain. I have been thankful for the blessing to grieve. I feel that having a time to grieve, and being able to grieve is a gift from God, and is something that blesses our lives.

I'm very religious- just as a disclaimer. I'm LDS, and I feel that as I started to look (especially in the early history of my church), I saw a theme of how grief, and a period of sorrow, blesses the lives of those in pain because of the insight and revelation they receive.

There was a time when Joseph Smith was so anguished over what happened to his people (rapes, murders, pillaging), that he sunk into despair and grieved. He prayed to God, and received what could be deemed as one of the most beautiful revelations of scripture of comfort and protection.

Another time, there was a prophet named Joseph Fielding Smith, who following the death of his son in law and daughter, was grieving for their loss and when thinking about those who had passed on, received some of the most clear and valuable revelations about life after death. This revelation is the foundation of my, and millions of other people's understanding of life after death.

Another time with Joseph Smith, his friend King Follet passed away, and at his funeral when Joseph was preaching he gave one of the most pure sermons speaking of the origin of God, man, and our spirits.

The loss of children lead to Joseph Smith's revelations on the salvation of little children. Joseph's grief and concern for his brother Alvin's well-being in the afterlife lead to the revelation and restoration of sacred temple ordinances.

Essentially, my whole religion is built upon other's griefs, sorrows and trials, and subsequent revelations.

 There is a pattern that I just think is very interesting. A person can be humbled, or brought down to sorrow due to a death of a loved one. At this time, their hearts will turn towards the Lord, and when they inquire in faith they can receive incredible, life-changing revelation.

For myself, I know that this is true. I felt such deep grief, and when I turned to the Savior I personally felt such incredible love and honestly, redemption. Redemption from my soul-tearing pain, redemption from myself, my own inadequacies, redemption from the hard things of this life.

I truly have come to be grateful for this time of grief in my life, and what it has given me the chance to learn. I know that it is something that while hard, grief has blessed my life.