Art by - Rainbow Bridge Art

All of us are acquainted with the saddest truth of any life - it comes to an end. We keep this fact in the back burners of our mind till we are forced to deal with it when a vacuum is created by someone’s demise. Everyone goes through grief. So, how do we deal with it? Is there a right way to cope with the pain? Is there any timeline? Despite what popular media shows what grief looks like, all of us cope differently. Ms. Julia Samuel, the author of 'Grief Works: Stories of Life, Death and Surviving’, has summarized, “There is no right or wrong in grief; we need to accept whatever form it takes, both in ourselves and in others.” Grief is not a problem waiting to be solved but a process. It may take a month for some, and years for another to move forward. One common experience shared by many across the globe involves suppressing the pain and the hurt in order to ‘move on.’ However, the ideology of ‘moving on’ does not necessarily work when dealing with death. There is no such ‘cure’ to pain or grief. It is a part of life you go through. The one thing that has shown to help is the social support provided by family and friends. Share your memories of the departed with another, or perhaps with a tree, or your journal, art, or music. This action positively correlates with declining suffering till there comes a day you don’t hurt as much. So, during the tough times, keep your loved ones close. And remember, your reactions, your emotions, and your own timeframe are valid.