After losing the love of my life, I realized this grief was different from previous losses. It felt like my life was a beautiful vase shattered into a hundred pieces. I tried to pick them up and put them back together, but I couldn’t do it alone. Some pieces were too far away, others didn’t fit, and I was frustrated and in despair. That’s when I accepted the love and help offered by those around me. Others could reach pieces I could not and helped me fit them back together. Together, we created a new vase—different but functional and ready to be used again. I learned not to be too proud to accept help because I wouldn’t have gotten up without it. Wisdom, I found, is simply knowledge gained through life’s hardest experiences. Prior to the death of my Wife, I had experienced the loss of my parents and other close family members. But they were no more than a punch in the gut. You fall down, sit for a bit, get up and go again. My Wifes loss was completely different. It was as if my life was a beautiful vase that had fallen to the floor and shattered into a hundred pieces. I had to sit down and try gathering the pieces and try putting them back together again. Needless to say, I could not seem to do it by myself. Some pieces were too far away. I could not figure out how to make other pieces fit together. i was frustrated and in despair but that is when i realized how much love and help i had around me and I accepted this gift. Some people could reach the pieces that i could not reach and brought them back to me. Others had the ability to fit pieces back together that i could not do. By drawing on our strengths together we were able to create a new vase which is functional and ready for use again. Do not ever be too proud to accept the help that good people want to shelter you with. I would have not been able to get off the floor again if it wasn't for the help and love given to me by others. Wisdom is nothing more than knowledge gained through life's experiences.