Strength

 We are not exempt from pain and suffering, but how we handle it matters the most. 

In Loving Memory of 

“April Murray-Moore”

Loss can be anyone, or thing, of importance to you. A loved one(s), relationship, personal health, pet, job, or place are all examples of things that we will and/or may encounter as losses in our lives. 

So, how do we handle loss? We process it by going through the common emotions that follow loss. Simply putting it, we grieve. Grief is identified in stages by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross. They are as followed:

1. Denial 

2. Anger 

3. Bargaining 

4. Depression 

5. Acceptance. 

We may very well not experience each stage of grief.  We all have different perceptions and emotional responses to life in general. We simply have different personalities with some of us seeming to live on a natural high all the time (pointing to myself, smile) vs. others who rather not see sunlight until noon (and that’s okay too). If we were all the same, we would be boring, smile. So, with that being said, the grieving process is very individualized.

No one, and I mean NO one can tell us how long to grieve. Just know that if it’s been 6 months per say and we’re still finding it hard to live, then we’re not suffering well. It’s normal to question God, but if we can’t seem to get out of that “why me” and “it’s my loss and nothing else matters” thought pattern than we’re not suffering well. I encourage us all to not get stuck on that end of the spectrum, come back up for some air, and continuously aim for the acceptance stage. We may go back and forth and that’s okay but aim to suffer well by finding ways to move life forward continuously.

Click here >  The Stages of Grief: How to Understand Your Feelings (healthline.com) for a more in debt understanding of the grieving process. 

It’s okay to seek professional help. We do not have to suffer in silence.