Grief Has No Rules
Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Differently
When it comes to grief, the best we can hope for is a few moments when we are not overwhelmed with sorrow. I think we know in our hearts that grief isn’t going away any time soon. And I think we know that we will develop ways of dealing with this loss in our own way — and in our own time.
And that’s okay.
Counselor Jeannie told me, “Grief has no rules.”
True words. Every day those words remind me that grief will take its time.
I’m nearly at the three-year anniversary of my husband’s death. We spent two years in hospice care, three weeks at Respite House, and everything feels like it was yesterday. Always pictured in my mind is Dean leaving the apartment on the gurney and my realization that he won’t ever be coming home again.
I had a harsh reminder a month ago that Dean and I were lucky to have had hospice care for as long as we did. We had time for two more wedding anniversaries, and we had time to process our ongoing loss of each other.
In January, I learned of the passing of one of our oldest friends we had as a couple — those people you meet when you’re young and newly married. His wife had died the previous year — on Super Bowl Sunday — they were fanatic Cowboy football fans. My Christmas card was returned this year…
