This week I would like to try something a little different… I would like to be a bit vulnerable and share my journey through the years… My journey of grief and healing as I am living it by sharing bits and pieces of my journals.
Before Bruce passed away, I had never kept a journal before. After he passed away, my mother suggested it might be helpful to work through my emotions. I was skeptical, but gave it a try. Now I am a huge believer in the healing power of journaling… by writing honestly about my pain, I began to heal.
These are a few pieces from my journey which began in January 2013…
February 2013
I feel so sick to my stomach every time I think about my “new reality.” … Grief can’t be just the crying and pain. It needs to include the pain and work of rebuilding, but most of the time I just want to cry. If I work on rebuilding, it feels like I am accepting this whole thing. I know I have to eventually, but I haven’t yet. I still want him to come home… I still hate it! It still feels wrong. Every time I let myself think about it, I fall apart. I hate this!!! Oh God, I don’t want to be here alone! Please! Not alone! I love him! I don’t understand why… God, please help me to not hurt so bad. Please!!
Babe, I was who I was because you were beside me. Now I am who I am because you aren’t. This grief seems to have no end. The pain is so deep and so intense. How will I endure this for the rest of my life? I am so frustrated… so tired… I just want to be able to smile again…
April 2013
All I could do today was think back – remembering moments in time, what his arms felt like, his breath on my skin, his smile, and the kindness in his eyes. I miss him so much. This just keeps getting harder and harder. Last night’s support group was basically good – actually the discussion was great. The lesson, though, was a little preachy. I understand the point was to keep moving forward and monitoring my behavior so I don’t wallow in my emotions all the time…
I am grieving. I will work through my emotions in time but there is no rush; nor is there a wrong way to feel. I have been praying for God to show me how to have hope again…
September 2013
A lot of self-awareness happening lately… It is what Bruce was always trying to teach me with the Tao stuff. Like the river that flows around the rock instead of trying to move it, I need to let the issues that upset me go… I can’t change these things (the rocks in the river) and letting others put their opinions, judgments, etc. on me only makes me feel bad. But I don’t have to take them on. I can refuse to “pick them up and carry them with me.” I need to learn how to just drop them where they are spoken, move around them, and keep moving. In other words, their opinions do not make me who I am; I make me who I am…
There are days when I am sad or angry or lonely – whatever I am feeling – that is okay. But that is enough energy – I don’t need to waste any extra energy dealing with guilt and frustration about how someone else feels about my grief. If people think I should be “over it” – who cares! That is their issue – not mine. Bruce’s death is a big enough burden. I do not need to add to it.
November 2013
God, this last week was hard. I know this next week will be harder. You gave me such a wonderful gift in Bruce and I have thanked you and him every day since we met. I know how blessed I am to have known him, but I am sad – I miss him. I really don’t want to do this without him anymore. Please, help me stay strong. We would have been married eight years this next Saturday… but instead I am alone.
I love you, babe! I feel like I am dealing with so much – your death, all the legalities, my growth, finding my worthiness, trying to be strong and honest about how I feel without bringing the world down around me. I don’t know if I can do this… What if I fail?
December 2013
I am really missing you, Babe. I just keep thinking that this time last year were our last few weeks together. I keep thinking about what we were doing, and I had no idea what lay ahead. I am so glad we had such a wonderful relationship… I have no regrets about our time together except that it was too short! And definitely, no regrets about our last few weeks. You are my hero… and always have been. I am so honored.
January 2014
I miss you… I do. But I am realizing that not crying every day is okay – it doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten you OR us. I still love you intensely!… There is so much (legal stuff) I still need to do, but I am not going to stress about it. When people ask about it, I do as you would do – I smile, nod and do it my way and in my time. LOL!! What a great example, Babe! I love you! I will smile at the memories and be at peace with life… at peace with the universe… which lets me know I am (or will be) at peace with God… Getting there anyway.
April 2014
I think God has been carrying me for the last 15 months. I miss you every day, Babe. People say this gets easier, but they’re wrong. It’s just as hard. I still feel like it is an overwhelming part of my life, but it makes people feel awkward, so I try to act like everything is okay… but it isn’t – I am sad. This is like the end of the “Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy realizes no one has what she needs. Dorothy has to help herself – There is no magic trick or gimmick inside a bag. This is my life and no one else can fix it for me.
(Between April and September, I started implementing “Retreat Weekends.” During these retreats, I “turned off the rest of the world” and worked on me.)
September 2014
(After a retreat weekend.) Good morning! Well, it’s Monday… I guess my peace and quiet are over, although I’d rather it were not. : ) The idea of “people” is not exciting but life isn’t lived in a bubble… It moves on. Nevertheless, I am willing to play the game today, face the obstacles and laugh at the ding-dongs. LOL! Boy, I think that is the best attitude I have had in a while. I feel so much better. I know there will still be rough days, but I was stuck in quite a patch of depression and yuckiness. Being able to look at all of this with fresh eyes really helps… I miss you but thinking of you is making me smile… Okay – small tears behind the smile, but still okay. I am thankful for the time we had; for what I have learned and continue to learn from you. Hold on to my heart – It’s yours! I love you, Babe.
This was my shift… my turning point. Since then, there have still been hard days and rough moments. There are still tears and grief… But it is different. I know it is okay to feel what I feel and to work my way through it… The trick is not to stay there, but to keep moving forward (even if I can only take baby steps).
This past week has held a myriad of emotions. I have felt joy and love as deep as I have felt grief and loneliness. As I contemplated what to write this week, I spotted this title on a meme (without credit to the author) and knew that was my point this week…
Sometimes the healing is in the aching.
For most of us, the grief journey is a hard one. It is relentless and learning how to survive this journey is different for everyone… There are legalities, memories, tears and conflicting emotions. If any of this sounds familiar, there are many of us here with you… you are not alone. If you have found a positive way through this, would you be willing to share your story or thoughts? To do so, go to the comments and leave a note. *
This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief
* Be advised that all comments are subject to approval prior to posting. Any comments determined to be spam or not in accordance with the mission of this website/blog will not be approved or posted. Furthermore, any comments determined to be hostile in nature will be reported to the proper authorities. Thank you.