[voiceover] The dictionary defines grief as keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret. As surgeons, as scientists, we're taught to learn from and rely on books, on definitions, on definitives. But in life, strict definitions rarely apply. In life, grief can look like a lot of things that bear little resemblance to sharp sorrow.
“Goodbye” · Season 6, Episode 2
In this episode: Alex Karev (3), Meredith Grey (2), Derek Shepherd (2), Arizona Robbins (2), Izzie Stevens (2), Cristina Yang (1), Miranda Bailey (1), Richard Webber (1)
[Alex, Derek and Arizona are waiting on a CT myelogram]
McDreamy.
I'm sorry?
I get it now the whole, you know, "McDreamy" thing. I didn't, I didn't get it before. But now I get it. You know they call you that, right? [Alex rolls his eyes]
[smiles] Yes.
I'm involved, by the way, in case you thought that I was just coming on to you, because I was not. Plus I heard that you got married so congratulations.
Yes, thank you.
[snickers] You wrote some hokey crap on a post-it note in the residents' lounge. Sorry, but until you're sweating it out in a morning coat with a ball of white taffeta coming at you, you're not really married.
[chuckles] Oh, I've consummated mine. I consummate mine all the time. How's that going for you, Karev? Girls talk. You might want to consider that the next time you judge my post-it.
Get up. I mean it get up. Get up! Now go get a life.
AAmanda
I can't.
George was a surgeon. He had a purpose he wanted to save lives and now he doesn't get the chance. Now he doesn't get the chance to do anything anymore. But you do. You could go to medical school, you know. You could hang out with your freaking friends, I don't care what you do. Just go do something with your life because you have one. You lived. You lived and George didn't and I know... I know... that that feels horrible and shocking and terrifying but you lived. So go live your freaking life.
AAmanda
I don't know how.
Nobody does. Nobody knows how. But god have enough respect for George to figure it out cos if I see you sitting on this bench ever again I will kick your ass from here to Sunday.
[to Izzie] You died in my arms. You died in my arms, you freakin' died and then you left instructions that I wasn't allowed to save your life! You wanna know what I'm scared of? I'm scared of everything! I'm scared to move! I'm scared to breathe! I'm scared to touch you! I can't lose you. I won't survive. And that's your fault. You made me love you, you made me let you in, and then you freakin' die in my arms!
[voiceover] Grief may be a thing we all have in common, but it looks different on everyone.
It isn't just death we have to grieve. It's life. It's loss. It's change.
And when we wonder why it has to suck so much sometimes, has to hurt so bad. The thing we gotta try to remember is that it can turn on a dime.
That's how you stay alive. When it hurts so much you can't breathe, that's how you survive.
By remembering that one day, somehow, impossibly, you won't feel this way. It won't hurt this much.
Grief comes in its own time for everyone, in its own way.
So the best we can do, the best anyone can do, is try for honesty.
The really crappy thing, the very worst part of grief is that you can't control it.
The best we can do is try to let ourselves feel it when it comes.
And let it go when we can.
The very worst part is that the minute you think you're past it, it starts all over again.
And always, every time, it takes your breath away.
There are five stages of grief. They look different on all of us, but there are always five.
Denial.
Anger.
Bargaining.
Depression.
Acceptance.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Grey's Anatomy pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.