I am always looking for poems or short essays to enclose in condolence cards or send to people in grief. My friend Lela found a long poem by John O'Donohue, an Irish poet, philosopher and Catholic scholar who died suddenly in 2008, at just 52.

It's a great description of getting blindsided by sadness even on days you're doing well, following a loved one's death.

It's from Benedictus: A Book of Blessings.

 There are days when you wake up happy;
Again inside the fullness of life,
Until the moment breaks
And you are thrown back
Onto the black tide of loss.
Days when you have your heart back,
You are able to function well
Until in the middle of work or encounter,
Suddenly with no warning,
You are ambushed by grief.

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