Losing a loved one can be a traumatic experience. Each person grieves differently, though it is always something of a struggle. While it is going to take time for you to come to peace with what has happened, there are a number of ways to discover comfort in your grief. For one, remember that what you are going through is a universal characteristic of being alive. Everyone suffers the loss of someone important at one time or another; this has been going on for as long as the human race has inhabited the planet.
Exploring the universal nature of grief can help you to feel more connected to your experience. Take a moment to explore how other cultures deal with grief and learn to process your own pain by familiarizing yourself with other methods of coping.
Saying Goodbye, Holding On
Letting go is a complicated process. On the one hand, you do not want to fully relinquish the memories of someone that meant a great deal to you. On the other, it is difficult to live forever in the anguish you are feeling and still be productive and active in your own life. Finding the balance can do wonders, but it is not easy to achieve. Several cultures understand this complexity, and have made interesting methods of coping.
In South Korea, it is not uncommon for the cremated remains of an individual to be compressed into beads. This practice began in recent years due to a lack of space for bodies to be buried. In fact, a law was placed mandating that a grave could only be used for six decades before someone in the family had to find another way to deal with the body. The concept of creating beads arose after families wanted a way to have a physical reminder of a loved one without simply having ashes present in an urn.
The Dreamtime
Reading into the ancient practices of some cultures, and their outlook on death and the afterlife, can also add a bit of perspective to your mourning. Though their culture is still something of a mystery to outsiders, the Aboriginal people of Australia have a very connected idea of life and death. It is believed, in most circles, that those who die rejoin the Dreamtime, which is the realm of all the ancestors who sang the world into existence. Each person who lives becomes a part of the song of creation, living forever in the world of dreams.
There are tons of cultures around the world that see death as a bridge to something greater. One does not have to be an active participant in one of these rituals to understand their weighty significant. The more that you read up on how and why various people of the world mourn the way they do, the easier it will be for you to gain some interesting perspective on your own situation.
Do What Feels Right
No one can tell you that the way you’re mourning is not correct. Just because many people in Western cultures tend to wear black after the passing of a close friend or relative does not mean you have to follow in this tradition. If the person who has passed away loved the color yellow, then it makes complete sense to wear bright yellow in the days following a death.
Grief takes many forms, some are strange and others very expected. Get in touch with how you’re feeling in a way that is healthy for you. The moment you feel you are not able to cope, be sure to reach out to professionals so that you can find the best method of getting through this difficult time. There is no right or wrong way to go about mourning, but you always want to keep your own health in mind.
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