“Grief is just love with no place to go.”

By: William Spence
Friday, November 10, 2023

Although I have been a licensed funeral director for 27 years, families are still teaching me new things about love, death, and grieving. I was recently presented with a thoughtful quote that I had not previously heard, “Grief is just love with no place to go.” Because I believe this statement holds such profound truth, I knew that I wanted to share it with others and give proper credit to the originator.

It seems as if credit goes to Jamie Anderson, author of Doctor Who. Here is the context from which this powerful quote is taken: “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”

My hope is that if you or someone you know is grieving, this quote will lend understanding and meaning to your journey.

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