The Last Three Steps Of Six Step Journey Through Grief

Grief from death is something every one of us has to face in our life. Once we have journeyed through this, we emerge as strong individuals. Funeral directors in Hialeah, FL will tell you that there are six steps in this journey through grief; and once you have completed all of them, you will learn to look at life and yourself in a new way.

To start with, let’s first recap the first three steps. They are: acknowledging the death, embracing the pain of the loss, and remembering the departed loved one. Now, once you have successfully walked these three steps, here are the last three steps of this journey.

Fourth step: developing a new identity

The reason why we feel so lost and bewildered after the death of the nearest one is that we often derive our identity from the deceased person. Once they are gone, we know that our identity as wife/husband or children/parent is no longer there. And this identity loss leads to a sense of panic and fear and our inability to move away from the passing of the loved one. So, for the next step, you need to develop an identity of your own. Don’t define or restrict yourself by what society has always seen you as, because you are no longer that person. You need to start doing the jobs or take up responsibilities that were always done by the deceased person. It can be something as small as changing the light in the house or loading the dishwasher. Once you start doing that, you will find you have new confidence in yourself, and it will fuel the growth of new you.

Fifth step: Search for the meaning

The loss of a loved one often pushes us towards asking meaningful questions about our faith, life, and the universe in general. This becomes more poignant when the death is unexpected. Many turn to their religion and become spiritual to seek answers to their burning questions. You will often find yourself doubting your religious beliefs and even questioning your faith, and that is a normal response to a loss of a loved one. Take the help of your religious mentor or seek help in books that often help you to clear these doubts. You can also ask your funeral directors in Hialeah, FL for reading materials which they will be happy to share with you.

Sixth step: receive help from others

The last step of the journey is thinking back on who helped you in this journey. This is a journey that you can’t or shouldn’t do alone. Getting help from friends, family members and community members who have undergone similar situations will make this journey easier. Sadly, many of us fail at this step because society has conditioned us to believe that we should “carry on” with life once the funeral and death-related issues are done with. But true recovery takes time, and this step will need a support system. So, don’t give up getting help from others who have helped you so far, keep in touch with them and share your thoughts. Soon, you will find that you are guiding someone on their journey through grief.