Tending to grief with the help of whales
When we think about grief, whales might not be the first companions who come to mind. Yet for many people, encounters with these ocean giants have offered profound comfort, perspective, and even healing. There’s something about whales—their vastness, their haunting songs, their ancient presence—that seems to speak directly to the tender places in our hearts.
Whales as Witnesses to Our Pain
Grief often feels isolating. It can seem as though no one truly understands the depth of our loss. Watching whales—creatures who have lived through epochs, migrations, and shifting seas—reminds us that we are part of a much larger story. Their silent witnessing can be soothing. To stand on the shore or sit in a boat, watching a whale breach or exhale a plume of mist, is to experience something immense and ancient.
Nature’s Reminder of Life’s Cycles
Whales migrate thousands of miles each year, following instinctual paths through the ocean. This rhythm of coming and going mirrors the cycles of life and loss. For those in grief, the whales’ journeys can serve as a gentle reminder that while pain ebbs and flows, movement and change are part of life. Seasons of deep sorrow will, in time, give way to moments of calm or even beauty.
A Call to Presence
Grief can make us feel numb or disconnected from the world around us. Observing whales demands presence. Their sudden breach, their spouts rising like fountains against the horizon—it pulls us back into the here and now. Even listening to recordings of whale songs can anchor us, offering a meditative space where we can breathe and simply be.
A Sense of Awe and Perspective
There’s a hush that falls over people when a whale appears. In the face of such majesty, our personal sorrows don’t disappear, but they’re placed in a wider context. The ocean is vast; life is mysterious and larger than our individual stories. Awe doesn’t erase grief, but it can create a sense of spaciousness where sorrow feels more bearable.
Whales as Symbols of Emotional Depth
Whales dwell in the ocean’s depths—realms that are dark, mysterious, and largely unexplored. Our grief, too, can feel like deep, uncharted waters. In this way, whales become symbols of the emotional depths we carry. They remind us that it’s possible to inhabit those depths and still rise for air, for light, for connection.
Tending to Grief with Whale Encounters
Whether it’s going on a whale-watching trip, listening to recordings of whale songs, reading about whales, or simply meditating on their image, whales can be gentle companions in grief. They offer no easy answers. But they invite us to remember that grief, like the ocean, contains both turbulence and serenity—and that we are capable of holding both.
