Grief

Grief is an emotion we experience due to the loss of a loved one, either through death or separation.

It is a very normal and natural emotional reaction to loss or change.

When someone important to us dies, it represents an end of a familiar pattern of behavior. Having to adapt to that new - usually unwanted - reality can be difficult and sometimes terrifying.

We often experience conflicting emotions when someone close to us dies. If for example, that person has been suffering from a terminal illness, in addition to the sadness, there is often a sense of relief. Relief that the loved one is no longer in pain, relief from the difficulty of watching their suffering and the frustration of not being able to cure them or ease their pain.

Grief is also the feeling of reaching out for someone only to find they are no longer there. This can apply to someone who has died but also, in the case of divorce, reaching out for someone who had been there at one time but is no longer available.

Another common trait of grief is that everyone grieves differently. We each experience and express our grief uniquely and in our own time.

Doreen Virtue and James Van Praagh's book, How To Heal A Grieving Heart is full of practical and spiritual help to help you come to terms with your loss.

And remember you don't have to go through this alone, there are wonderful grief support groups online and in person worldwide.

This article by medium, James Van Praagh,  may be comforting.