Coping With Grief – A Message From My Guides

A few hours ago, my nieces’ father passed away. He was only 59 years of age and had been battling colon cancer which metastasized to his spine. His fight started several years ago and had run the gamut from surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation to clinical trials at one of the world’s most well-respected cancer hospitals. Toward the end of his time on this plane, he was sent home to live as comfortably as possible for his remaining days.

The following words of comfort are general guidance from Spirit, the gist of which I have passed along to my nieces:

“It is natural to grieve for loved ones when they pass into the Spirit world, even if you know that they will be without pain or discomfort from this time forward. In the case of a parent who has died, there can be an empty feeling of having been left alone to fend for oneself in the world, regardless of the fact that the adult child might have been a caregiver for the parent during a long decline or illness.

Grieving is a journey that teaches us how to love in a new way now that our loved one is no longer with us. Consciously remembering those who have died is the key that opens the hearts, that allows us to love them in new ways ~ Tom Attig

Be grateful for your connection to your loved one. Celebrate your loved one’s life with vigor. Embrace the memories, great and small. Listen to the stories and rejoice in the anecdotes that describe your loved one’s feelings, beliefs and experiences. Enjoy the dreams and accomplishments of a life well-lived.

Appreciate your loved one’s trials and tribulations as well. Remember how he laughed in the face of struggle or failure as he triumphed over adversity. Think of her innate strength in times of loneliness, sadness or depression. Give him credit for persistence. Give her accolades for rising above the fray. Forgive oversights or transgressions. Be comforted by the knowledge that your loved one did the best possible with what was known at the time.

Take a deep breath. Live each day one at a time. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. There is no time limit on grieving. The amount or method of grieving does not reflect on the depth of your love for the deceased.

Nothing will be quite the same now and that is okay. Allow yourself to feel sad or heartbroken as you come to terms with the new normal in your own life. Give yourself time to process this transition. Avoid making major decisions until enough time has passed so that you are able to think with a clear head. Expect that there will be peaks and valleys because grieving does not occur in a straight line. You will have good days and bad. This is all part of healing.

When you are standing in that forest of sorrow, you cannot imagine that you could ever find your way to a better place. But if someone can assure you that they themselves have stood in that same place, and now have moved on, sometimes this will bring hope ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Surround yourself with family, friends, colleagues and neighbors who have a positive take on life in general. Now is not the time to allow yourself to be swallowed up in the misery of others who lack understanding or empathy for your loss. Seek and accept assistance or support from various sources, no matter how independent of spirit and strong you are.

Know that your loved one will soon be in a position to guide, guard and protect you from within the Spirit realm. Although your relationship will be different from now on, eventually you will be able to establish a new connection for communication. Continue to live, laugh and love for that will raise the energy of all who surround you both on the Earth plane and in Spirit.”