Why Grief is MORE than just Sadness

There is a HUGE misconception out there that grief is only about sadness.

For anyone who has experienced grief, you KNOW that that is 100% NOT true.

It’s not just sadness that you feel.

Grief also brings with it anger, guilt, frustration, shame, resentment, relief, blame, regret…and love.

You may feel all of these emotions, or just some of them, but guaranteed you WILL feel more than sadness.

And depending on where you are at in your grief journey, your current circumstances and frame of mind, your emotion of choice will change.

Yesterday was my son's death anniversary.

Today is my Dad's 80th Birthday.

This past Friday was my daughter's 16th birthday.

And I am feeling all the feels ♥️

The deep, deep love and joy for my daughter as she celebrates her Sweet 16.   I could not be a prouder mama of the young woman she is becoming.

The soft sadness, gentle love, and bittersweet wondering of what her twin brother's life would have been like had he lived... and what he would have been like at 16 years of age.

The incredible admiration, love, and gratitude for my dad as he enters his 80th year with such love for his family and determination to continue to find joy in his life and keep active...and the desire to cherish every day that we have together.

16 years have passed since I lost my son.

Some days it feels like yesterday and the sadness overtakes me.

Some days I feel such deep love for him and his brief time with us.

When anniversary dates & holidays arrive, my emotions can become unpredictable and I find that I am more easily triggered - to tears, to anger, to frustration - as my body and heart continue to process and feel all the feels.

My first Christmas after my twins were born and I had lost my son was indescribably hard and I moved through it in a fog, moving in and out of feeling emotions and feeling numb.

I felt so many different emotions...

Bone deep heavy sadness at the loss of Isaac....I felt his absence everywhere.

Simmering Anger at the unfairness of it all.

Underlying Resentment & Jealousy towards those moms, especially new moms, that had all their kids with them.

Hovering feelings of guilt, as I continued to wonder what I could have done differently that may have prevented Isaac's death.

Full-body Gratitude & Love for my daughter and her strength & resilience for survival.

Fleeting Joy in being with my family...and being able to hold my daughter for 20 minutes each day at the NICU.

Holidays were hard for me...and they can be hard for so many of us, even years later.

Knowing how to support myself when I am triggered has been so incredibly helpful for me in being able to move through those moments of heavy grief emotions and come back to joy, so that I can continue to truly be present & appreciate all the wonderful people and experiences that I have in my life.

*****

When the cocktail of emotions appears for you, they can take a huge hit on your self-worth & self-esteem, especially when you attach guilt, shame or judgement to what you feel.

❓ Have you ever felt relieved when a loved one passed because now their suffering had ended and then immediately felt guilty for feeling that relief?

❓ Or been frustrated and resentful for the financial mess you were left in after a divorce?

❓ Or you were ashamed and blamed yourself for losing your home?

All of these scenarios involve grief, as grief is involved in ANY loss or change, whether death related or not.

When this mixture of emotions shows up, they can keep you trapped in a cycle of pain, keeping you stuck in your grief.

They can also impact your relationships, your work life, your family life, your sleep, your ability to make decisions, your ability to feel joy or happiness…

Your emotions hit you EVERYWHERE in both your personal AND professional life, whether you want them to or not.

Having been there and learned effective ways to support myself through the emotional challenges along my grief journey, my desire is to help support YOU to do the same.

Enter…“The Grieving Blueprint: How to Move Out of Darkness & Find JOY Again”

I created this unique online program to help support YOU in navigating your emotional grief journey, especially as you move through this upcoming Holiday Season.

“The Grieving Blueprint” is a 6-week online journey designed to help you:

Understand YOUR grief & its impact on your life more fully

Connect with other women who are also grieving, for mutual support and community

Create your own UNIQUE "MY Grieving Blueprint" that will increase your self-confidence & clarity in supporting yourself as you move forward in your healing & grief journey

In Week 1 of the course, we will dive deep into understanding the multifaceted nature of grief and trauma.

Here, you will gain clarity around your emotions, which is the 1st step towards moving forward with your grief.

If you currently find yourself stuck in your grief emotions and struggling to move forward

Then, "The Grieving Blueprint" course is for YOU!

By the end of the course...

✨ You will feel lighter, more empowered, and much more confident in how to support yourself on your grief journey.

✨ You will have discovered your own ways to invite joy back into your life, while still honouring your grief.

✨ You will have created your UNIQUE “MY Grieving Blueprint” to help support yourself in moving out of the darkness of your grief with confidence & clarity.

✨ You will have connected with a safe and supportive community of women who are moving through their own grief journeys…helping you to not feel so alone.

If you are looking for support on your grief journey as you head into this holiday season, I invite you to join me.

Join us in Week 1 to begin understanding and releasing your pain.

YOU are worth it!

M. xo

P.S. Have questions?  Feel free to book a 15-minute call with me - shoot me a message.

P.P.S. To learn more about "The Grieving Blueprint" and to Register, email or message me.