It is important to acknowledge and accept the reality of the loss and allow for feelings of shock, numbness, or denial which can help in accepting the loss. Grief is natural; weeping and mourning are natural and not inconsistent with faith. … More Dear Father, does grieving imply a lack of faith?
We live in a culture that measures progress by how quickly we have moved on. Grief doesn’t work in this way. It is not linear. This moment of sadness doesn’t mean that you are going backward. It is a reminder that love lives on. … More I Should Be Over This By Now
When a common grief becomes a shared grief, we make space for healing. Not because our suffering goes away, but because we are not alone in it. A common grief doesn’t make our grief less, but gives us the courage to look our loss square in the face and say, “Yes, it is this bad. It does hurt this much. I don’t have to pretend it doesn’t because I know you feel it too.” … More A Common Grief
Grief likes to surprise you. You could be doing fine for a while and then get hit by a bout of grief all over again. Milestones, like the missed first day of school, can trigger it. Just like the holidays, they can be difficult to navigate because it makes you reflect on what’s missing. My son will be starting school, and I’m so excited for him to have new and exciting experiences. But I’m also sad that Jesse won’t be going to school with him. … More Navigating Grief on My Son’s First Day of School
Though you did not have any audible first words, perhaps you spoke by simply existing. Your presence was a song of life and hope. Your presence was an answered prayer, a response from God to a longing heart. I heard these words with my soul. … More You Still Speak
This is when I learned that grief was not a destination but really a journey. I’ve heard, “you have to feel it in order to heal it.” I also learned that there was no timeline and there was no going back to the way things were before, that I might be on this path for as long as it takes. … More Finding Purpose in the First Year of Grief
This past year I feel as though I’ve lost myself in the anxiety and chaos of life. And I’ve grieved for the loss of self-identity. I’ve also grieved for the loss of my vision of what motherhood would look like. … More Understanding the Stages of Grief in Autism Diagnosis
I now understood the rage. It was righteous rage that screams that losing our son was not fair. We did not deserve it. It was the rage of love against death that was never meant to be a part of life. It was rage at the enemy of our souls whose insidious lies exiled us in this valley of tears. … More Ugly Grief
The breakthrough I made in my grieving was when, through gentle guidance from the Lord, He showed me what was a healthy and emotional response. The Lord showed me how to acknowledge my emotions and then let them go, surrendering the present moment to Him. This revelation of faith has been a significant turning point in my healing journey. … More Blessed are Those who Mourn