GRIEF: "IS REACHING OUT FOR SOMEONE WHO'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE, ONLY TO FIND WHEN YOU NEED THEM THE MOST, ONE LAST TIME, THEY'RE 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.