TRUTH TIME –
You have suffered a loss; it is okay to admit that fact. You may think this to be a ridiculous comment, but until you can face the truth, you cannot heal. You cannot fix what you have not acknowledged.

BUDDY UP –
This is your accountability partner, and this person is critical in the healing process. Someone to help keep you on track. Listen to wise advice. Choose a trusted friend, someone you can trust to place your best interest before their own. I highly recommend your trusted friend be of the same gender. Emotions are too fragile to mix genders and many times that combination can lead to unwanted difficulty. This person is rare but invaluable!

RESPECT & HONOR
Cemeteries are not just a resting place. They provide a place to honor your loved one and a place of peace for you. I suggest you also, for a brief time of your choosing, create another place to honor your spouse in your home. By this, I mean set aside a place for you to go to that is private, allowing yourself to stop the business of the day and remember your spouse’s special qualities. Take time for yourself to celebrate their life. Give yourself time to grieve your loss and think about the special memories you shared. Tears will come, but they do not all have to be sad tears. Your spouse remains a part of your life. Celebrate the fact that you are a unique person because of your relationship.

As you become emotionally healthier, you may remember your spouse from a physical place of respect to an even more personal and private place that will remain in your heart, forever. Just know there may come a time when you may decide to “move on“, continuing with your life. No matter if you remain widowed or remarry, you will never, ever forget your spouse. Your spouse is part of your life story and allow no one to take that away from you.

Think of it this way. When you were a child, you had glorious memories of your childhood. When you became an adult, you did not erase those memories just because you are no longer a child. Your spouse will always be a very special part of your life’s story. Your deceased spouse will remain with you in the same manner.

Genuine love has no limits. You have one child that you love. When your second child is born, you love that child just as much as the first one without reducing your love for the first. That is why many people struggle with loss. They put boundaries on their gift of love as if it were finite. Love is infinite. It is human beings that place walls around themselves. Many as a defense mechanism which does not allow them to see the bigger picture.

Grief takes time. You are worth the time to find solid ground. You will use this firm foundation to continue to rebuild your life and the better the foundation, the healthier you will become. There is no rush for this process. Take your time, face your grief and honor your spouse. Some people move on sooner than others, but only you will know when that time is right for you. Be a little selfish with your decisions affecting your future.

The more emotionally healthy you are, the bigger the blessing you will be to yourself and others as your life continues.

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