Good Grief!!!
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Someone recently asked me how it was going, and my first response was "GOOD GRIEF." Odd response, or at least that was my thought after I said it. Why did I say that? Did it come from the cartoon Charlie Brown? And, why did I feel like it was an appropriate answer at that time? So, I went digging.
The phrase or expression "good grief" means surprise or annoyance; it can also mean dismay or disgust. However, when the words are defined individually, they mean something different. Good is a word that can describe someone or something as righteous or desirable, and grief can be defined as deep sorrow, especially sorrow caused by someone's death. Therefore when the meaning of the two words is combined, it means "righteous sorrow." Well, it is true that lately, I've been feeling an overwhelming sense of annoyance and disgust by all that is going on in the world right now, so the phrase was appropriate for how I felt at that time. The individual words are equally relevant because I attended the funeral of a 25-year-old killed in yet another instance of senseless gun violence last week. I grieved for my friends who lost their son and for the collective who are victims of gun violence.
Sigh
I've also been thinking about everything that we have lost since the start of COVID-19.
We've lost so many people collectively, over 700,000 in the United States. I've personally lost friends and family members to this dreaded virus. The daughter of one of my classmates died of COVID pneumonia last week. She died after days and weeks of posts chronicling her journey despite the daily fervent calls for prayers. It was an emotional roller coaster because, at times, she seemed to be getting better, so we would celebrate because it looked like our prayers worked, only to be let down again once she turned for worse.
I feel like our sense of health, comfort, and safety has been shattered. Along with that, our ability to freely travel or even eat in a restaurant is compromised by current events. It feels like our overall quality of life has been negatively affected by this pandemic.
Sigh
Additionally, political and social justice issues weigh heavy — for example, the mistreatment of the Haitian immigrants on the border and the partisan bickering in Congress over infrastructure, debt ceilings, voting rights, etc. With the election of a new President, I thought we would be better off, and in some ways, we may be. However, the divide in this country is getting broader, and opposing views are as different as truth and lies. Where are we headed?
But wait, when I invested my abnormal response, I learned that "good grief" is a derivative of "good God" or "good Lord." Perhaps, amid my frustration, my sub-conscience tried to remind me about the goodness of our Lord. That may seem like a stretch, but that's what I'm going with. And while the term "good grief" is primarily used as a negative expression, I am encouraged, so I want to encourage you.
The journey to anywhere is rarely all uphill, downhill, or valley; it's a combination of all those things. Our history in American has certainly included both progress and regress. So, while we have our "good grief" and "righteous sorrow" moments, we always have our "GOOD GOD" to see us through it all.
Sophia Brewer (M.L.I.S.) is Collection Development and Serials Librarian, Grand Rapids Community College; Co-President of the Greater Grand Rapids History Council; member of the Grand Rapids Study Club and serves on the Grand Rapids Public Library, Board of Library Commissioners (Elected 2016-2021). She is a former Head of Programs, Grand Rapids Public Library and former Branch Manager, Madison Square Branch, Grand Rapids Public Library.
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