ABSTRACT

Some truisms apropos ending and termination: first, loss is the single universal and essential human experience. Death and taxes are inescapable; eventual loss of substance and of life itself is the lot of us all. Yet, this stark realization is not pessimistic, for without the ability to appreciate loss it is not possible to experience gain. Loss, or, more precisely, the ability to recognize loss, to accept it, and to let go is the necessary condition for growth and maturation. Appreciating loss is a corollary of being aware of separateness. It is also the essential discriminating factor for testing reality Of course, in my apostrophizing of loss I have merely turned on its head the concept of object constancy, an achievement that is essential for developing a sense of self and for normal growth and development.