Grief is a very lonely emotion. I remember going to a family party months after my mom passed away. Everyone was laughing and having a great time. All I could think was that she should have been there with us. I could feel the tears start to sting. Eighteen years later, I still feel she should be here.
Grief has its own clock. It’s not like you can tell someone, “This feeling will last six weeks.” It lasts all day, every day, in bits and pieces. We expect the holidays to be difficult, but it’s the little things that catch us off guard.
How many times have you picked up the phone to tell your loved one something?
How many times have you bought ingredients for their favorite dessert for a family dinner?
How many times have you just sat and bawled, missing them so much you think your heart will surely shatter?
Grief takes its own time. Now after all these years, I can smile about memories. Other days, I still feel the tears. I think tears are a measure of how much you love someone. It seems I’m a lover!
On this day of grief awareness, let’s try to be aware that many of us are running through our lives in a state of grief. You can spot someone easily at a card store. They are the ones crying in the aisles, holding a sweet, sentimental card. I always hug them.
Many people hold those feelings tight inside. They aren’t uncaring, it’s just too painful for them. You can’t judge another person’s way of handling grief.
Be kind. Be aware. and remember, our loved ones are closer than we realize. They want us to be happy.
I gathered the stories for Angel Bumps, Hello From Heaven to help people through their grief. There are stories from people across the country who have received different signs. One hospice nurse described it as a spiritual, emotional and loving journey.
Sign include: pennies, feathers, a certain song, a warm feeling, a dream, a whisper, cardinals, numbers that are relevant to the one in heaven, a scent, and many others….and butterflies! Sometimes a note or letter will drop from a desk when are missing someone. Other times a cloud formation might appear. One woman hears the hoot of an owl when her sister checks in. That is a very sweet story in Angel Bumps. Another woman has an eagle who arrives in her tree. There are so many different signs!
For those who don’t know my story, my mom’s sign is a white butterfly. She arrives often. When I asked her for a sign after her funeral, my car was surrounded in a flurry of white butterflies. She still arrives. We have conversations and I let her think she is always right. That’s what good daughters do!
Please send a copy of Angel Bumps to anyone you know who needs some comfort and inspiration. You will smile, laugh and cry and you will feel loved. Most of all, you will never feel alone again.
E-mail me your angel bump story at myangelbumps@gmail.com
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