Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly – Psalm 31:9
In the movie Nomadland, Frances McDormand excellently portrays Fern, a woman who has lost her husband and their community and has chosen a nomadic life. Through Fern and others who embrace this existence, the film delicately explores grief as a rightful expression to honor those who have departed our lives, while demonstrating grief’s power to kill the spirit of those left behind.
After watching Nomadland, I was reminded of Genesis 19:26 and the commonality Fern and Lot’s wife share. Both were unwilling to let go of their former lives and the people within them to move forward, even though their circumstances differed drastically. For Lot’s wife, it meant death, as recorded in Genesis 19:26—despite having been forewarned before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their unrepentant wickedness: “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee” (verse 17). For Fern, moving forward would require a changed lifestyle. This meant giving up her life on the road, sleeping in a van, and opening herself up to the possibility of finding love again, neither of which she was willing to do.
Grief is experienced differently from person to person, both in how it’s projected and its duration. However, the healthiest goal is to reach a point where memories of loved ones become wonderful companions on a journey forward. The problem comes when grief becomes a robe of sorrow that immobilizes.