Everyone has experienced grief in their life through death of family, friends or animals. Maybe through the loss of personal belongings, losing your home, your job, a relationship or from being betrayed. And with grief it is so unpredictable. We can be enjoying life and then just get hit unexpectedly.
I love how in this Grief Cycle by Kubler-Ross and Keller we are validated to ebb and flow through the emotions. We have all experienced grief before our current situation with COVID-19 and we are all experiencing an increase in our unexpected losses.
We have lost our ability to personally touch and physically socialize. We have lost travel, workouts, lessons, sporting events, concerts, school functions and even graduations. We have lost hobbies, conferences and so many human interactions. But what I have learned with all losses in my life I have grieved that in the end I have gained more clarity and wisdom.
In my divorce I mourned the loss of the person I thought he could be and the family we could’ve been. I knew I didn’t want to be with someone that treated me poorly and didn’t make me a priority yet I still wanted what I thought I had. Now I feel a happiness I forgot was possible and a relief of burdens I carried that didn’t belong to me. I genuinely laugh so much more and know that I have value.
I have felt new situations even magnified during this time because of my experiences of grief and betrayal. I am trying to be mindful of what I am feeling and be present instead of overwhelmed. I am allowing myself to grieve my losses and find ways I can restore my sense of worth. I have gained new ways to communicate with those I love and made time to get outdoors more. I have become more aware of what my kids face scholastically and am more empathetic and appreciative for their teachers. I have created new structure out of an empty schedule and enjoyed my children more fully. I have loved baking and cooking new meals where we all have time to sit around the table. We have shared spiritual thoughts and discussions and I have learned more about my children spiritually. I have read more, felt more gratitude and appreciated the little things.
What losses and gains have you recently felt?
We can get through this!
Give someone a note, a text or a virtual hug today!