Ways Grief Can Connect Us

For many people, the pain of loss can be isolating, whether someone we love has just passed away, or we are experiencing anticipatory grief. But grief can also bring us together in many ways. Here are some ways that grief can help you build stronger connections with those around you.

1. Grief reminds you to be in the present, and live fully. First of all, grief has a tendency to connect us with the time and the place we are in. As we focus on loss, we become more aware of what we still have, including the loved ones who are still with us. Grief also reshapes our realities. As it does, you may find it easier to step out of your routines or grasp opportunities you normally would bypass.
2. This is a time to share memories with loved ones. While grieving a shared loss, family members and friends can come together to explore their memories of their loved one. During anticipatory grief, the loved one may also participate in this sharing.
3. Grief can push people to work through past resentments. Death and loss tend to bring other things into perspective, which can seem smaller by comparison. If you are harboring old resentments, you may feel a pull to work through them, especially if you are running out of time with a loved one. Having the chance to do this can be emotionally healing for both of you.
4. We can sometimes forge new friendships, or renew old ones. As you join together with family and friends to confront grief, you may find yourself renewing old bonds that you have let slip away over the years. You might also meet new friends through support groups, forums or social networking sites who also are dealing with grief and loss. Sometimes they can even become friends for life.
5. We can connect through how we process grief and heal. Every person’s experience of grief is unique. As a result, there are numerous ways to cope with grief, process it, and heal through it. That means you can sometimes discover some amazing connections even in deeply painful circumstances. Nothing will ever make the loss of a loved one less painful, but it may be easier to cope with if you connect with others who heal and process in similar ways to you. You might even end up building or exploring beautiful things together (i.e. creating collaborative works of art, or sharing spiritual practices) that celebrate your loved ones.

Golden Rule Hospice Supports Patients and Their Loved Ones

While you can find and create healing moments within grief, nearing the end of a loved one’s life can be very difficult. That is why along with providing dignified and compassionate care to patients, we also offer grief counseling services to their loved ones. To find out how we can help your loved one and your family, please give us a call at (470) 395-6567. We offer hospice care throughout the Atlanta area.