Today I'm thinking of my grandmother. She was a complex woman, not always able to open up about how she was feeling. Towards the end of her life we started talking about her childhood and some of the things she had experienced as a youth in the 20's and a newly married in the 30"s. We were able to share some great stories and I even have her recorded on tape so I can hear her voice. My mother tells me that those stories might not all be true. I've come to find out my grandmother liked to exaggerate!
I wish she was still here, there are stories she didn't get a chance to tell and family pictures she didn't put a name to. I think I could learn much from her in these lean times; she experienced worse than this, survived and thrived.
I've been keeping a journal lately, one that explores the things I'm studying and learning and my relationships with others. Please consider starting a journal to "work out" the things that are bothering you. It can be especially helpful if you have unsaid words with someone who has passed on.
According to http://www.stress.about.com/ , Journaling is a term coined for the practice of keeping a diary or journal that explores thoughts and feelings surrounding the events of your life. Journaling, as a stress management and self-exploration tool, is not the same as simply recording the happenings in your life, like keeping a log. To be most helpful, you must write in detail about feelings and cognitions related to stressful events.
You may find it helpful to “sort out” your thoughts about your loved one by writing a letter to the person who died.
The things that are bothering you the most are excellent ideas to journal about. It helps connect you to the messages coming from your heart.
Express your thoughts and feelings about:
- A special memory that I have about you…
- What I miss the most about you and our relationship…
- What I wish I had said or had not said…
- What I’d like to ask you…
- What I wish we’d done or had not done…
- What I have had the hardest time dealing with…
- Ways in which you will continue to live on in me…
- Special ways I have for keeping my memories of you alive…
...and Grandma - Today I'd like to ask how you managed to raise 8 children and stay sane!
Remember - The only way to take grief out of death, is to take love out of life - Shelle
Family Memorial Mortuary http://www.familymemorialservices.com/
Great timing on this post. With my baby due any day & Christmas in a few days, I'm missing my grandma terribly. This was her favorite time of year. I decited that I would donate as much as possible this holiday season I'm her honor. She never had alot of money but she always put others first.
ReplyDelete