Writing to Work Through Grief
In keeping with the theme of this publication, let's talk about that!
If you’ve been around a while, then you know I lost both my parents 3 days shy of a year apart in 2021 and 2022.
It was, by far, the most trying time of my life thus far.
I hit a brick wall, it crumbled, and on the other side was a deep, black chasm that I had to struggle not to fall into.
I loved my parents, but I really didn’t know how much until they were gone. I found out how blessed I was to have them by the enormity of their absence.
I spent most of my time keeping my mind occupied with work. In quiet moments, I would enter a surreal space where the realization of them being gone would renew over and over.
Each time, it was like a sucker punch to the gut. A sudden overwhelming wave of sadness and sorrow followed by tears and lament again and again. That’s grief.
The pain sharp like a hot knife relenting to a powerful yearning that will never see relief this side of Heaven.
I have used writing as my therapist, both on paper and here.
This, along with a strong support system, as helped me navigate the treachery of grief.
Some days, I would drop everything to pour my soul into a page. Other days, I would read back over the worst days of my life…”Today, Mom went to be with Jesus.”
“Dad passed away today.”
The worst words I’ve ever written in spite of the enduring hope they both reside now with my Heavenly Father.
I don’t wish them back. The world is a bad place, but I do hope they know they are missed beyond measure and never forgotten, but only if they can take joy in that knowledge.
They smile from photographs that I can hardly stand to look at for more than a few seconds before the gut punch takes my breath.
After 2 years of experience, I manage to not burst into tears on a daily basis anymore. I see this as progress. I think I’ve leaned into grief and managed to live with it and around it and through it.
I understand that it’s a part of me now.
Has writing helped you or someone you know navigate grief? Leave a comment to encourage others.
A Tiny Bit of Housekeeping
Expect to hear from me more often. I do struggle with consistency. I apologize and I thank my loyal readers from the bottom of my heart.
I’m going to be sending out a newsletter called the Work At Home Vibe. WriteNow will remain and not change. I will do my best to write more frequently since there’s been an influx of new folks recently and I want to get to know them.
I also want to open up WriteNow to contributors. If you have an instance where you’ve used writing to get you through a hard time or you have some out-of-the-box tips to share, let me know!
Diversifying the content here will make WriteNow a true resource for people like us who write because not writing is impossible.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to your and yours from my heart to yours! 🎄✝