The Kübler-Ross Model categorizes this phase as the “final” stage within the grieving process. In truth, acceptance has no ending. In the latter part of the exhausting journey, I continued to travel through what felt like foreign territories. One day I suddenly woke up and realized that something changed. I cannot manifest into words how the senses have been altered, but I know that the outlook towards the horizon had changed. Neither pleasure nor pain feels the same way.

Within the canvas, you can see brief moments of emotional respite as well as bursts of indignation. Embedded in pathos, the variety of cool analogous colors painted throughout the canvas contrast against a series of scattered bright pink gestural brushstrokes. Memories of the shock, anger, and doubt that were once felt rush back me but no longer have the same impact. It is as if those feelings have been quarantined in a clear Plexiglas container and visibly positioned in the background. From a distance they serve as a reminder of what has occurred and how far I have persevered. At some point in this stage I have come to terms with the truth that I have been robbed of something precious; a lost item that no Good Samaritan will ever find down the road, much less return to its rightful owner. I reminisce about the past with bitterness and longing, unsure about the present state of circumstances. I also look to the future with both hope and apprehension. And having acquired baggage from that sorrowful journey, I strive to move onward.

Musical Pairings via “The Five Stages of Grief” Playlist on Spotify:

•      “Figure.09” by Linkin Park

• “On the Nature of Daylight” by Max Richter

•      “The End” by Mica Levi