Embracing Grief When You Have Lost a Loved One
By Chris Hammond
Out of the blue, you receive a message that someone you
loved has passed away. Perhaps it is a
sibling, a longtime friend, or close co-worker, he/she is close to you but not
one of your immediate family. Whatever
the nature of your relationship, the timing of their death is so unexpected
that you can hardly believe what you are hearing. And yet you know intellectually that it is
true. Yet your emotions do not catch up
to the reality quick enough so your response is distorted by a numbness of
disbelief. You are left hanging, not
knowing what to do or how to respond.
Your relationship with the immediate family is close so you feel this
pull to be with them but are unsure of how to act, what to say or who to speak
with during this time.
The climate of our present culture is one that has lost
touch with the art of maintaining intimate relationships. Media influences such
as Facebook, texting, and video gaming all of which do more to disconnect
relationships rather connect serve instead to keep intimate relationships at
arm’s length. While on the surface it
may seem as though we are connecting to old friends or distant relatives by
befriending or sending a message, the lack of two-way face-to-face conversation
keeps the relationship at this distance.
During the times of a crisis such as the loss of a loved one, the
distance then becomes a temptation not to act and to remain safely away. But this is not an example of loving your
neighbor. So what is?
Time. As hard as it is, one of the most loving acts
of kindness is giving your time. Just
spending time with the immediate family can be a source of great comfort in a
time of great loss. One of the many
temptations during this time however is to remain detached and self-protective
as you embrace your loss, but this is a selfish act. Selflessness is the willingness to put aside
your own emotions and become involved in caring for those whose loss is
greater. Time demands that you are physically
present offering to remain as long as needed to care for the suffering of
another.
Listen. During your time with the immediate family,
do not enforce your own agenda or your own views of the loved one who has
passed. Rather, listen to the family speak
allowing them the freedom to become angry, bitter, sad, and emotional. Don’t argue or dispute what they are saying,
just allow them to ramble. The explosion
of thoughts which plague your mind during this time are even more intense for
the immediate family so let them just speak.
Some feel the need to narrate the story of their lives, some feel the
need to just sit in complete quiet, some feel the need to be around people, and
some feel the need to give instructions.
Whatever their need, be there to listen without judgment or correction.
Embrace. There is no way around this. Once you physically make yourself available
and spend some time listening to a person grieve, you will become emotionally
and intimately involved in the grieving process. This act defies the nature of our culture
which preaches that it is “all about me” and invites you to embrace an intimate
moment which is about the one who has passed away and the ones who are left
behind. While it is scary to allow
yourself to be so involved, it is an act of kindness that demonstrates fully
the love of Christ.
To the outside world, such behavior of giving your time,
listening unconditionally and embracing grief sounds draining and normally it
is if you are doing such acts on your own strength. But if you rely on the strength of Christ,
there is far more than you need. John
7:38, “Anyone who believes in me [Jesus] may come and drink! For the Scriptures
declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” These rivers of living water are nourishment
and refreshment in times of great challenage and great need which are available
to all who believe in Jesus. When you
give of yourself during a time of loss, you are really giving the love of
Christ of which there is an endless supply and far more than you need. This is one of the many demonstrations of
loving your neighbor and becomes a light to all who see.
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"Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group weekly eNews, (Copyright, 2004-2012), To subscribe to this valuable counseling and coaching resource visit www.LifeWorksGroup.org or call 407-647-7005"
About the author- Chris Hammond is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern at LifeWorks Group w/ over 15 years of experience
"Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group weekly eNews, (Copyright, 2004-2012), To subscribe to this valuable counseling and coaching resource visit www.LifeWorksGroup.org or call 407-647-7005"
About the author- Chris Hammond is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern at LifeWorks Group w/ over 15 years of experience