Grief is deeply personal and individual. Every relationship and loss are unique. We can feel unhinged, adrift, or like we’re in a free fall. We think we’re better and then we get surprised, again.
From the Grieving Heart
I thought I was a little better, but I guess not.
I was doing fine, having a good day, until I heard that song. It took me right back. Thoughts of you came flooding in. I was a basket case in a nanosecond.
I never know what’s going to happen next. The grief is always there, slowly building up inside me. It grows until my system is full, and then along comes a person, place, aroma, word, or song that reminds me of you. A switch gets flipped. A hatch pops open, and all the pressurized emotion comes bursting out. I have no control over when, where, or how.
This is frustrating and embarrassing. I take one step forward, and then two steps back. The grief seems to be getting deeper. The more I grieve, the more the grief inside me seems to grow.
It all seems so backward. How do I know if I’m making progress? Is progress what I should even be thinking about? What does “good” grieving look like?
I find one answer, then generate two more questions. Is grief some never-ending cycle? Is there a way out of this?
I don’t want to leave you behind. I can’t go on without you – at least, I don’t want to.
There must be another way.
Grief may not be what we anticipated.
Grief is not a checklist or a once-and-done activity. It’s a process. Here are 7 facts about the grief journey we can’t afford to forget…
