HEART - Healing, Evolving And Recovering Together

10/04/2022

Dear Grief...

I was thinking about you today … and how you make me feel
Wishing you were just a dream … wishing you weren’t real

But the truth is that you are here to stay
You are never going to leave
This is something I am learning to accept
Something I believe

I am doing the very best I can
Taking each day one at a time
Honoring what I need for me
Accepting that some days... I am not fine

There is something I have been meaning to say
Something important I want you to hear
I will allow you to walk alongside me
I will allow you to stay near
But you will not block my path
You will not get in my way
You will honor and respect me
You will listen to what I say
You will comfort me when I am down
You will hold me good and tight
You will allow me to have good and bad days
And you will love me with all your might

The truth has become quite clear to me…
Grief… you are here to stay
It’s okay… you are welcome here
But this has to be done my way…

xo
Gabby

You can find this and my other poems/blogs here:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/dear-grief

09/30/2022

09/28/2022

Anyone who has walked the path of grief, personally knows how exhausting and hard it really is. The journey is full of landmines and it can be difficult to navigate around them when you don't know what to expect or where to turn.

One of the things that weighs heavily on those who are grieving is the anticipation of the tough days that lie ahead. Days that hold special significance and memories after a loved one dies.

Birthdays, holidays, graduation, weddings, anniversaries, the first day of school, prom, and baby showers are just a few of the days that come to mind. The day or a specific date can be a reminder of something shared in the past or the knowing it will never happen because your loved one is no longer here.

Certain days, seasons or times of the year can be exceptionally hard to get through and they often come with a sense of dread. Some grievers want to avoid them all together and some need to do something special to honor and remember the day.

There's no right or wrong way to walk through the moments of grief that feel extra hard. You need to do what feels right for you and find ways to comfort your bruised and battered heart.

You may hear that the first year is the hardest and perhaps for you that will ring true. But for others, the second and third year are incredibly difficult and the struggle to get through it all is real.

Regardless of how much time has drifted by, life will feel different in unthinkable ways. There will always be days when grief feels a little bit heavier and you are reminded of how much everything has changed.

There will be days when your heart breaks all over again and it's hard not to think about what once was or what could've been.

Go easy on yourself when those days come around and know that the anticipation and occasional dread is normal after loss turns your life upside down.

Do something special to honor your loved one when the reminders come flooding in. Do something special for yourself if it hurts too much and you need to take a break instead.

I'm thinking about you and I'm here.

Your grief matters. Always.

Michele

09/25/2022

In an intimate conversation about loss on Anderson Cooper's new CNN podcast All There Is, "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert opened up about what he thinks makes grief feel so insurmountable — and how he learned to cope with it.

09/15/2022

I'm proud of you today and every day. Grief is hard and there's nothing easy about holding it and carrying it every single day.

While you can get better there may be parts of your broken heart that never completely heal and that's okay. Grief becomes a part of you and just like love, grief will always remain.

Your wounds will turn to scars and the scars burned into your soul are a testament to how much you will always miss the person you love. The pain won't always be as intense as it is right now and while the scars of loss will remain, they will soften and fade with time.

Life can be good again. I know it doesn't feel like it right now but it can. Yes, it will feel and look different because you are different and loss has changed so many things.

The hard work of grief is a thankless job and there's never enough credit given to those who've been forced to walk this difficult journey. To live through and keep going the unthinkable has completely shredded your heart.

But I see you and I know how hard this is for you. I know there are days when it feels hard to keep moving when you're in pain and you've lost hope.

Hang in there. You're a grief warrior even when you don't feel like it. It takes courage to keep going and every day you get up and try again is something to be proud of in the face of grief.

I'm incredibly proud of you and I want you to remember that hope is patiently waiting for you to reach out and pull it back in to your broken heart. Hope isn't gone, it's just hidden under the raw pain of your grief for a little while.

Be patient and remember the journey of grief takes grit and grace. There's no rushing through it and it's important to meet yourself where you are and need to be from one moment to the next. When you're ready, joy is close by waiting for you to discover it again.

You're doing the best you can and that's enough.

Your grief matters and I'm sending love every step of the way.

Michele

09/14/2022

Yes