Member-only story
Grief Will Hit You When You Least Expect It
But it’s OK to feel things
If you’ve lost a loved one, then there are obvious times when you are reminded of them, and the fact they are no longer around.
Birthdays, Christmas, holidays — all the classics.
Also if you had shared passions or activities, like a sport you loved or an event you attended together, then when that time of year comes around, the memories and sadness pop up too.
But sometimes, grief will hit you at the most random of times, when you least expect it, and for no apparent reason.
If that happens (it happened to me only yesterday) my advice is this:
- Go with the feelings, don’t try to suppress them
- Reach out to people who understand
- Welcome the fact that you may be another step along the healing process
When we experience strong emotions, you can see it as being similar to a volcano erupting. No-one knows exactly why or when the eruption will occur, but it’s a significant event.
And it affects the surrounding landscape.
Not being able to put your finger on why feelings are hitting you — that can be disconcerting.
