Author: admin

• You have the right to take whatever path you take through your grief without judgment.
• You have the right to ignore or incorporate any or all the MOUNTAINS of advice you will get.
• You have the right to say: “No thank you.”
• You have the right to grieve for whatever you have lost, including things you never had but ache for, like phantom limb pain.
• You have the right to your own definition of grief. For someone else it may be journey, a blessing, a teachable moment, a test, a process, or a choice. It doesn’t have to be any of those things for you. It can simply be where you are at the time.
• You have the right not to be grateful, inspired or inspiring.
• You have have the right to “just be.”

Adapted from original: Author Unknown

1. Give yourself permission to grieve. Grieving is not an option. You might be able to ignore it for awhile however, eventually it will make a return.
2. Be gentle with yourself. Allow for unusual behavior.
3. Do not compare your feelings with anyone. If you feel it, it is okay.
4. Understand things will not return to normal. A new normal will need to be formed.
5. Tears will come when they come. It doesn’t have to make sense. Tears are helpful to healing. If you don’t cry that is okay too. We are all different.
6. Share your experience with trusted loved ones, but do not expect they will fully understand-share anyway. Telling your story helps you to process and accept what has happened.
7. Ignore advice that hurts or doesn’t feel right. People attempt to comfort by giving unsolicited advice, for example, “you need to stay busy.”
8. Find what works for you, realize it might not be what works for others, examples might include: walks, journaling, exercise, time to reflect or listening to music.
9. Take each day as it comes. The emotions will come as waves, sometimes you see it coming and other times it sneaks up. Ride it out.
10. Do not set a time frame for your grief-it takes as long as it takes.