Courage in Grief, the beauty of Surrender

Thank you Justine & Michael 💚

The one unifying and undeniable fact of life is that we will all experience loss - the death of loved ones, the end of relationships, the shattering of dreams. In a society that so often tells us to ‘stay positive’ and ‘move on’, it is easy to view grief as something shameful. But what if, instead of a weakness to be avoided or a burden to be carried, embracing grief is actually a sacred invitation to heal, to grow, and to transform?

When we have the courage to feel our grief, to surrender to its depths, something miraculous happens. We begin to heal. We reconnect with our own soul, with the love and support of those around us. We find meaning in our losses, discovering that our pain is fertile soil for new growth.

So let’s not be afraid of grief. It is a fierce and loving teacher, a guide to our deepest self. Embrace it, learn from it. As the Persian poet Rumi recommends, let it crack our hearts wide open. That’s how the light of love gets in. On the other side lies a life of greater meaning and connection.

Filmed in Theefontein, South Africa.

Filming - by Michael Raimondo
Editing - by Justine du Toit
Sound mix - by Tamryn Breakey

This film is part of a series collaboration between three independent filmmakers - Reflections of Life, Campfire Stories and Happen Films. These films explore how small acts of love and kindness have the potential to ripple out and change the world, touching hearts and minds in ways that we could never begin to imagine.

We'll be sharing a total of 12 short films, from across five continents - releasing one per month for the whole year of 2024 - four from each filmmaker.

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The following music tracks are used in this film:
Numb3rs - by Jay Varton (via Audiio)
Vatnajokull - by Martin Landh (via Audiio)
Okaya - Textures - Instrumental Version (via Artlist)
Norðurljós (Northern Lights) - by The Spaces (via Audiio)
Four on Five - by Yehezkel Raz (via ArtList)
Tarab - by Lorenzo Travaglini (via Audiio)
Blossom Ends - by Abstract Aprils (via Audiio)

A huge thank you to these guys, who gave so generously of their to time to help with translations, enabling us to provide subtitles in the following languages:
Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) - by Shun-Ying Lu
Croatian - by Davor Bobanac
Czech - by Katarína Borek
Dutch - by Karla Greven
English - by Justine du Toit
French - by Amélie Macoin
German - by Tanja Pütz
Greek - by Vicky Polychroni
Indonesian - by Ary Nuansa
Italian - by Grazia Gironella
Korean - by Hotae Devin Noh
Polish - by Anna Konieczna
Portuguese - by Sibylle Steinpass and Lucivani Valvassori
Slovenian - by Tadej Pasar
Spanish - by Paty Aguirre
Swedish - by Mattias Olsson
Vietnamese - by Thi Le

[Bronnyley]

"I have a purpose. I water the plants". Beautiful.

[tkm.]

This is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever seen. I could feel my soul straining to be free. Thank you for this beautiful story. Such a gift to humanity.

[reciprocalhealing]

I weep at the beauty of these stories. What a wonderful soul. Prayers and love to all those being with grief, surrendering to it. May peace fill your hearts. Thank you for sharing 💕🦋

[motherofshakti]

There is something so mesmerizing with her voice and presence. I just feel loved listening to her

[GrandmotherWindsoftheEarth]

My beloved husband Jim died 3 weeks ago today. Tomorrow is our 19th wedding anniversary. To say that I needed this video tonight is an understatement. What a blessings you have given me. Tears falling still. Jim loved the nature around us especially the birds nesting nearby. He lived for his family and nature. I do feel split open. Yet, I also feel strong spiritually and can feel him urging me on to simply live my life and heal from the trauma of watching and caring for your loved one as they suffer the pain and distress of cancer. Maybe I can become like the Japanese Kintsugi art because I have broken? Thank you again and many blessings xx

[Angelwing]

Can something be devastatingly beautiful ? I am moved to tears at her brutal yet tender honesty. A lovely soul indeed. I wish her love and light.

[mojow]

Thank you, like o May below this message timely for me. My beloved daughter died 9 months ago and my beloved husband, of 47 years died 4 weeks ago. As I struggle to surrender to the changes in my life I have found that getting out of my head and into my hands, knitting sewing, gardening has helped. My son still lives with me and having to cook and support him helps too. We are both lost without the two others with whom we lived and shared our lives. I too have a sense of still having a life to live, what it will entail I do not know but in God’s strength and love I take the next step and then the next..

[catherineoconnor]

I am a therapist and this beautiful woman has just taught me about grief. The tears fall from my eyes. Thank you dear beautiful one. May you continue to surrender x

[kimfajarito]

I watch this video every time i lose myself. It reminds me to surrender to my pain and keep going.. and that this pain isn't infinite

[troisangroi]

Antoinette is my favorite story teller... Her voice, her body language is full of emotion and wisdom and peace and calm and stillness and quiet and....

[cathymark]

Oh my...she is a blessing to this world...may she find peace and comfort and strength

[paddlingcanuck]

Antoinette, incredible human. I absolutely cherish her way of speaking and her insights on life.

[AgathaWorld-rylp]

The statement she made about having a little candle to check to see what changed about you, who are you now that your loved one is gone. That hit me hard, I havent dared look or inspect myself since I lost my mother. I havent even started my mourning yet.

[GrandmaEllen]

"Who am I now?" So true. "Nothing fixable about this." Indeed, I know. Beautifully put, all of it. Much love.

[LCLW]

"No one can understand another's process of mourning" so so true. Grief is a journey that one must walk alone & allow it to flow & work through you to help you become more of who you are. Truly appreciate Ms. Antoinette sharing her experience with us as many people are grieving & need to know it's ok to grieve & mourn.

[divinecomedy]

So much wisdom here. A lesson in life, loss, and being present.

[Anna_Floyd]

Antoinette is someone I love deeply. It feels as if she is my grandmother who teaches me how to stay loving, gentle, and soft even when faced with hate, sadness, and disappointment in life. I have hoped to meet her someday and simply hug her, lay my head on her chest, and feel the calmness 💌 sending lots of love Antoinette 💌

[khalidhaniff]

First and foremost, I want to say, RIP Oom Johannes and Michael’s dad.

When my mom passed away almost four years ago, it broke me open too. It truly is a gift that the death of a loved one offers you, even though it's incredibly painful. I miss her every day and continue to mourn her loss.

The phrase 'Ahhhh. I surrender' sent chills down my spine. It was so powerful. I've been to many grief counselors who have specific training in death and loss, but this 14-minute video summed up everything. What a GIFT! I'll be sure to watch this on repeat for a long time. There's so much wealth of wisdom packed into it. Thank you for sharing this incredible piece. Big big fan of this channel. 🤟

[musaquazi]

Any word, any sentence any expression of mine will ONLY spoil the elegance of this Saint's

[bluegypsy]

"There is space for love." ❤🙏