Definition series: Sorrowing
Feeling Griefy On the Go
In this definition series, I’m taking a grief-related word and giving it a bit of a ‘glow up’. This is borne from my frustration at how limited our language is around grief. While I can’t create new words (‘griefy’ is as far as I’ve got!), I can review and reflect on the few that already exist (and try and update their definitions where possible).
This piece is rated Feeling Griefy on the Go. You can read this scrolling on your phone waiting for the bus. Or while the kettle boils for a mid-afternoon tea. It’s the most digestible of nibbles. A salted griefy peanut.
‘Sorrowing’ might just be the prettiest grief related word I know. It makes me think of sparrows, sorrel and sowing seeds. Gentle words and soft sounds.
Sorrow is a feeling of great sadness. Sorrowing is to be experiencing the great sadness. A classic case of adding ‘ing’. So classic you could almost think it’s made up. And actually, if you say it out loud a few too many times it does sound complete gobbledygook.
While there are a few other members of the sorrow family (sorrowful, sorrowfully, and sorrowed), sorrowing remains a firm favourite. I think because the ‘ing’ makes it an action word. A process of doing. And while grief can feel passive – effortless even - it has a lot of ‘doing’ associated with it too. A lot of missing, and thinking, and dreaming and sorrowing.
I carry a pocket of sorrow around with me always. It’s a sorry fact. A sorrowful fact. The most sorrowed, sorrowful fact. But like anything in your pocket (will this analogy work!?) I don’t always notice it’s there (hmm). In other words, it’s not as dramatic as it sounds - I promise!
P.s I mostly know the pre-ing word through a great book I read a few years ago called ‘Sorrow and Bliss’ by Meg Mason (and recommend!).
