| Grief is reaching
out for someone who has always been there, only to find when you need them
the most, one last time, they are gone.
The death of a loved one
is life's most painful event. People's reactions to death remain
one of society's least understood and most off-limits topics for discussion.
Oftentimes, grievers are left totally alone in dealing with their
pain, loneliness, and isolation.
Grief is a natural emotion
that follows death. It hurts. Sadness, denial, guilt, physical
discomfort, and sleeplessness are some of the symptoms of grief.
It is like an open wound which must become healed. At times, it seems
as if this healing will never happen. While some of life's spontaneity
begins to return, it never seems to get back to the way it was. It
is still incomplete. We know, however, that these feelings of being
incomplete can disappear.
Healing is a process of allowing
ourselves to feel, experience, and accept the pain. In other words,
we give ourselves permission to heal. Allowing ourselves to accept
these feelings is the beginning of that process.
The healing process can take
much less time than we have been led to believe. There are two missing
parts. One is a safe, loving, professionally guided atmosphere in
which to express our feelings; the other is knowing how and what to communicate. |
