Grief is a journeeeeeey!! It sure does feel like a roller coaster sometimes, so hang in there and hang on tight! I’d like to say to take advantage of those good moments you experience. Run with them and don’t take them for granted. Because sometimes in the beginning they feel far- few and in between.

(It’s important to note that sometimes people often experience feeling guilty when they have happy moments, almost as if you’re never supposed to be happy again). Don’t let this lie settle in because as in anything- there are ups, and there are downs. Any moments that you can breathe

and actually see the light of day again is a BIG deal! - one minute you’re fine, the next minute you’re not! Let yourself fall apart, and cry those tears… they are necessary! This literally happened to me the other week. I was just fine. It was putting my youngest son to bed when he started sobbing. I went to console him to find out what was wrong

and he told me he was missing his “nan-nan”. Rayden broke down, crying and kept asking me why things had to be this way? Why he has to live life without his grandmother because she was so special?!! Not only did it pain me to see my son so sad, but his cry reminded me how much I hated this reality too. I immediately broke down, crying right along with him.

Even though the days, weeks, months and years roll by, those emotions and pain are real and raw still. I let Rayden know that it was OK to be sad because that was his natural response to missing his

grandmother. I hugged him and held him and we talked about how much his nan-nan loved him, and looked at pictures of her until eventually those tears turned into small smiles. I explained to Rayden that the beauty of loving his grandmother is that he can always still love her even though she’s not here. He has tons of memories of her that will make him smile all the days of his life. Those moments are not easy, but they come and we have to make room for them.

It’s important to release those emotions and cry if you need to… and even better when you have that safe space to talk about your pain as well. We cried together and shared memories and found comfort in knowing that we know where she is (heaven..!) and that we will always remember her. Even when those memories bring tears.

~ Grief isn’t easy, but hope and healing are possible