Grief and Loss
Letting go of pain is not easy.
The emotional pain of your loss weighs heavily on your heart and soul. It is too much to bear.
You want relief from the pain, but you are afraid that letting go means forgetting.
It’s hard to know what and how to let go.
Making meaning of loss is personal.
You’re struggling to make meaning of your loss, whether it was your loved one, your job, or even a lost opportunity.
That loss may have been a week or years ago.
Sometimes friends, meaning well, will say things like, “It’s time to move on.”
The fact is that you feel bad, and your heart feels shattered – the result is unintentionally hurtful.
But something inside says you aren’t ready.
You are right. There is something more you need to do.
In sharing your story, we dissipate the pain little by little, giving a small drop to those we meet to disperse it along the way.”
– Elizabeth Kubler Ross
Although there is no timeline for grief, there are ways to support the process.
Take time out to truly hear your sadness, your loss.
In our present culture, many of the rituals around loss are gone.
People move on with their lives, and work responsibilities return.
But the void inside of you says, “I am missing an integral part of me; now what?”
Maybe it’s time to find a place where you can make meaning to your sadness and loss.
Make meaning of your loss in a safe space.
There are stages of grief, including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Kubler-Ross).
These stages do not necessarily happen in neat order and can come and go randomly, which can feel confusing.
There is a 6th stage called making meaning (David Kessler, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief). Kessler says, “Meaning comes through finding a way to sustain your love for the person after their death while you’re moving forward with your life. Loss is simply what happens to you in life. Meaning is what you make happen.”
Time and focus can help you find your feet again.
Although making meaning of your loss may feel far off, there is a way to bring your grief to completion in a way that honors the loss and keeps you from being overwhelmed.
I will honor your process with compassion while you make meaning of your loss. Please don’t do it alone.
Reach out to me – let’s find a way to your peace.