Being Intentional About Grieving

The past three weeks have been a firestorm of change in my life. On May 16 my dad was admitted to the hospital for multiple health issues. On May 21 mom was admitted into a local nursing home due to her progressing Alzheimer's Disease. Dad's sickness was just too much for her to handle. And on May 22nd, my dad passed away.

As you can imagine, work took a back seat to family and personal time and even now, I find myself not being fully present at work. I have allowed myself to grieve the loss of dad and change of season with mom. As much as I want to rush through it, I know that true healing only comes with the passing of time and reflecting on positive memories with them.

Being intentional about grieving is not easy. The roller coaster of emotions take your heart and head on a ride that is at times unbearable. You want to just push it aside, find something to take your mind off of it, and get on with your life. But it's in those moments of allowing yourself to feel these emotions that you begin to get a clearer understanding of yourself, the deceased love one and those supporting you. And in those increasing moments of clarity you find wisdom to use in your own journey forward.

One quote that has been of encouragement to me came from a very unlikely source-Dr. Seuss. He once wrote: Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

You'll probably hear more about my dad in the coming months as I continue my process of grieving. Being intentional about grieving his loss has already given me more moments of peace and wisdom than I could ever imagine. I wish the same for you when you face a similar change in your life.