Grief and Loss

“She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails.”

Elizabeth Edwards

Grief and loss are not only the death of a loved one (both human and our beloved pets) but can also be the loss of a job, identity or health.  You are grieving the loss, of what was and is no longer available to you.

Others may not recognise your loss, and this can complicate matters as they may not realise why you are stressed out, sad or even angry at the world.

If you have an impending death, through a life limiting illness – the grief is often described as anticipatory grief.  Grieving prior to the death and this can occur for both the person with the illness and those who love them.  The grief begins as their hopes and dreams are cut short due to the illness and shortened life span.  Unfortunately, we need to also go through the grief process when our loved one leaves this world.

For some people, they grieve in private, and others may find themselves being emotional in a public setting.  If this happens to you, please be kind to yourself at this time and allow yourself the space to go through the emotional storm that envelopes you. 

There is no timeline for grief and whilst the stages of grief may be similar for many people, we often bounce through the stages in different ways, and it is not a linear process.  The stages of grief are shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing and acceptance. 

Grief can be like the ocean.  At times, the waves may be gentle and at other times it may feel like a tsunami and be brutal.  Learning to live without our loved ones is often a difficult process.

Take care and remember to breathe.