It’s hard to imagine being sad as a good thing. None of us want to cry. Often, we see tears as weakness.
Many of us have good reason to grieve, but we don’t have the time to do it. We may have lost a loved one, we may have been diagnosed with a life altering disease, or we could’ve suffered the recent loss of divorce, but these aren’t the only reasons we grieve.
Did you think that your life was going to turn out a different way than it did? Did something happen to change your course permanently, and now you’re just tackling this new existence you find yourself in? Grief isn’t just about death, divorce, and disease. Grief is about loss.
Our warriors go off to fight for our country and most of the time suffer the loss of brothers and sisters in battle, but there are warriors and civilians that have suffered a different type of loss.
Who is this person who came home? Who is this person who is so different from the one who enlisted? What happened to the hopes and dreams that you had before life took you in a different direction? Did your dream die? Have you lost hope?
Grief can be good. Avoiding or dismissing feelings of loss only stifles the angst for a short while. It can surface in other ways such as depression, ptsd and anxiety. So, take a minute and sit with your thoughts. It’s going to be tough. It’s not a quick fix. If you can talk to someone about your loss, invite them to join you in your grief. See a therapist. Find that support through a battle buddy.
Start your grieving journey by:
1. Summarizing your loss. What did you lose? Was it a promotion? Was it your sense of self? Write it down. Know what it is.
2. Meditate on it. Take time to think about what you lost. You’re probably going to cry. It’s a good thing, don’t judge yourself, just do it.
3. Find the good in your grief. What’s good that came from this loss? How have you grown? Who has been there for you?
4. Let it go. It takes some time, but when you’ve come to terms with what you’ve lost and how that’s made you or your life different, you can now focus on the new path. Write that letter you’ll never mail. Bury that shoebox of pictures. Just say goodbye to what you lost and start this new journey with the grief behind you.
There’s no time limit to grieve. The steps you take to grieve are never meant to be taken one at a time. It’s OK to fall back in tears after you thought you let it go. Just knowing that you’re able to give the grief the time it’s going to need will help you heal.
Warrior Battalion offers Battle Buddies nationwide to be there for you when you need to talk to someone who just understands. Sign up to be a Battle Buddy here.
Reach out to our Battle Buddies for help here.
If you’ve come to a point in your life where you just need help, financially, or in a way that we can assist you, please contact us here.
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