By Glitter and Grief whose dad died from sepsis when she was 23 years old
1. Grief continues even when people stop asking ‘if you’re okay’. I learned that after a couple weeks (even months and years) - when the check ins and ‘sorry for your loss’ messages stop - the grief doesn’t. It hurts even if people don’t talk about your loss anymore.
2. I didn’t REALLY understand grief and loss until I experienced it first hand. You can hear what death and what grief feels like, but losing someone close to you is something I never understood completely until I had to experience it.
3. The small memories seem to mean the most. It’s the little things I notice the most since my dad died, like the song he’d sing on my voicemails since I was a kid. It’s the little things we take for granted that create the biggest voids when they’re no longer there.
4. It’s normal not to know what you’re feeling. Grief was a new feeling for me to deal with. I could cycle through various emotions, heartbreak, sadness, numbness, anger, moments of hope, and then maybe even guilt for feeling happy sometimes. I learned emotions are complicated, but it’s okay to not feel okay.
5. It’s also okay to feel okay again. When I found myself doing ‘normal’ things again like smiling and laughing, sometimes I would feel guilty like I wasn’t grieving correctly if I allowed myself to be happy again. I learned it’s okay to want to enjoy life again. That being happy doesn’t mean you grieve or miss your loved one any less.
About Glitter and Grief
”I lost my dad to sepsis unexpectedly in 2016. I never imagined losing my dad when I was 23 years old. Not sure how to deal with my grief, I started to journal and express myself through letters I’d write in my journal. I now share my own grief journey on my blog Glitter and Grief, where I talk about all aspects of what I’ve experienced since losing my dad.”
You can also follow Glitter and Grief on Instagram.
