"You just have to find a way to move forward......."

#Grief #Therapy #DealingWithGrief #GriefTherapy #MentalHealth #Support #LetYourLoveFlow #ThereIsNoLettingGo #ItsLettingYourLoveFlow

"Ky’Mere, I miss you. I miss you deeply. Often I think about the fantasy of having a healthy you hear on earth. I often imagine how different my life would be if you were still here. I imagine the bond we would have, how long your hair would be, how long/tall you would be, being the big cousin 🥹 Grief is funny. Often you’re grieving what was, what could have been, the reality of things now and then, moving towards progress in life because, let’s be real, you can’t “move forward,” but you can have forward progress. Anyways, this is all for now. Just know I hope that I’m making you proud with my commitment to my forward progress. I hope you have that same smile looking down on your mom, like, “that’s MY mom.” Continue to take care of mommy as she took care of you.

With love, son."

-your mommy forever.

Recently I started writing letters to my son in Heaven. Letter 143. I wanted to share one of my therapeutic suggestions for individuals experiencing grief, particularly the loss of a close relative. This activity allows the grieving individual to allow their grief to flow through their words, share feelings about their loved one, and progress in their grief journey. This activity allows one to share continued progress, accomplishments, and day-to-day emotions.

The holiday season is approaching, and many individuals and families begin or continue to grieve the loss of a loved one. Grief can be hard. It can be scary. Often, with grief, individuals feel like it is letting go of their loved one. What if you were told it's not letting go of your loved one? In fact, it's allowing yourself to let your love flow for them through a different approach. It's a major adjustment, a transition, and depending on the nature of the relationship, it often makes people feel that they are forgetting about their loved one. Remember, you can never forget your loved one and the bond you share. It sucks holding on to only a memory or idea of them, but know that your loved one is NOT just a memory or an idea. They are the ones who you love dearly and deeply. Do what you want, you need to grieve but make sure you are grieving healthy, _______ (insert their name here) would want that for you.

"You will never just move forward. You can't just move forward. You now just have to adjust and adapt to progressing forwardly in life without the physical presence of your loved one. It doesn't get better; it just becomes more bearable overtime as you allow yourself to grieve."

-Victoria Thompson, MS, NCC, LCMHC-A

Grief has taught me a couple of things. You can't depend on a physical presence to fill the void of the loss of your loved one.