Will you rain for me? Will you cry the fertile tears of heaven, as I weep
less fruitful ones?
Will you show me love in your sorrow?
Teach me growth in the times that storm.
Give me reassurance as the weaker parts of me are washed away.
The title “Mourning’s Glory” originated from my vision of grief blooming and being nurtured. It is an allegory to the morning glory flower. The morning glory’s blossom is beautiful, the seeds are often toxic, and it can be considered a weed by those who do not nurture it appropriately. If left ignored, the flower will grow wildly, consuming all other parts of your carefully manicured garden.
Mourning is not just about losing loved ones, it is a sense of loss in general. For example, I think as medical students, we are mourning the lives we had before medicine. Most students are experiencing growing pains, and it is a bitter-sweet time for everyone. Mourning, while uncomfortable and overwhelming, is a healthy process and leads to individual and community progress. Loss is about looking in the mirror and no longer recognizing yourself. It is knowing that you are coming undone, with the purpose of being remade into something new. It is watching your loved ones suffer and waste away while feeling the overwhelming denial that life is transient and that you yourself are shifting sands in the desert of time.
Image credit: Custom artwork by the author for this Mosaic in Medicine piece.
Medical Student Contributing Writer, Columnist
University of Utah School of Medicine
Lindsey Nae Wright is a member of the University of Utah School of Medicine class of 2022 and is interested in pursuing a career in Surgery. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah in Medical Anthropology and minored in Pediatric Research. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and practicing yoga. She loves to sample fancy cheese and drink coffee. For her, writing is an important outlet that allows for creativity, making important connections, and processing life-changing moments.
