Friday, December 4, 2015

The Process

Grieving is a process that is ever evolving and never truly finished.  Ten years ago I lost my mother to cancer after a pretty horrible six month battle with the usual treatments of chemo and radiation therapy.  I think of her more often on her birthday than the day of her passing because by the time she left us it was a relief to be done with her suffering.  

My father was killed in a motorcycle accident two years later.  The shock of the situation combined with the fact that I hadn't seen him much in the years prior made it extremely difficult to process in a healthy way.  I think by that time I felt like I was an expert on grief and so it would be easier or faster to process the loss.  I moved on quickly at the time, mostly out of necessity as I was already a busy single mom by then, but now these many years later I am finding that there is so much more grieving to do for both of my parents in order to find the peace and well being that I need and deserve in this life.  

Cherish your loved ones every moment.  And when you lose them, cherish the moments you had.  Take the time you need to experience your emotions in whatever way you feel is most healing.  And never forget that love is forever and so there is no limit on the amount of time needed to grieve.