Have you ever felt the world closing down on you? Have you reached for a person who’s no longer there? Have you ever felt like you had no other thing to live for? Losing a loved one is hard. It is particularly difficult when the person dies in their prime. It can be the hardest thing you will ever go through. Nothing can take away the pain.
While your loved one cannot be brought back from the dead, certain words can go a long way in comforting you. If you are currently bereaved, you will need all the positivity you can get at this point. Here are 16 quotes that I hope will provide solace for you.
1. “It’s okay. It’s okay to miss them. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to laugh. It’s okay to breathe deeply. It’s okay to smile when you think of them. It’s okay to function. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to be thankful. It’s okay to love again. It’s okay to remember. It’s okay to hope. It’s okay, to be honest. It’s okay to trust again. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.” – Scribbles & Crumbs.
2. “I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought, and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their lives.” – Leo Buscaglia.
3. “Nothing will ever take away our memories. May your memories be ones that give you comfort and reminders of happier times.” – Catherine Pulsifer
4. “What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.” – Helen Keller
5. “After you have wept and grieved for your physical losses, cherish the functions and life you have left.” – Morrie Schwartz.
6. “When those you love die, the best you can do is honor their spirit for as long as you live. You make a commitment that you’re going to take whatever lesson that person or animal was trying to teach you, and you make it true in your own life. It’s a positive way to keep their spirit alive in the world by keeping it alive in yourself.” – Patrick Swayze.
7. “May God be with you and give you comfort. May He wrap His arms around you and give you peace and hope. May He fill you with strength, and may you feel His love.” – Catherine Pulsifer.
8. “You have within you, right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” – Unknown.
9. “Grit your teeth and let it hurt. Don’t deny it; don’t be overwhelmed by it. It will not last forever.” – Harold Kushner
10. “Perhaps they are not the stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy.” – Unknown.
11. “The loss of a loved one is never easy, it never really goes away, but the gaps in one’s life start to fill again with other experiences so that the gap grows smaller and less emotional. ” – Byron Pulsifer
12. “Parting is inevitably painful, even for a short time. It’s like an amputation. I feel a limb is being torn off, without which I shall be unable to function. And yet, once it is done. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, and fuller than before.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh
13. “Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.” – Vicki Harrison
14. “You will survive, and you will find purpose in the chaos. Moving on doesn’t mean letting go.” – Mary VanHaute
15. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Mahatma Gandhi
16. “Grief is a most peculiar thing; we’re so helpless in the face of it. It’s like a window that will simply open of its own accord. The room grows cold, and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less, and one day we wonder what has become of it.” – Arthur Golden
How to deal with grief
Losing a loved one is one of the most painful experiences one would ever go through. Learning how to live without someone that has always been there is extremely hard. However, holding on to such emotions will hurt you in the long run. To cope with grief, here are a few things that will help. [1]
You’re entitled to your feelings
The first thing you should realize is that you are entitled to your feelings. There’s nothing wrong with crying or getting angry at the unfairness of life. You are allowed to think, say whatever you want, or feel if it will help you heal. Because your brother seems to have moved on doesn’t mean you have to forget and move on at the same pace. Allow yourself grief. No matter how you try to resist it, it will still come. Once you accept your feelings, you can move on to the next stage.
“In our society, we’re often told to ‘get over it,’ which is just about the worst advice ever. Sit with your grief, find the meaning in it through appreciating the fact that you have loved ones that you care for,” said Kriss Kevorkian, a Los Angeles-area thanatologist.
Talk to a trusted person
You need to find someone trustworthy to talk to. It could be your friend, sibling, or close colleague. You need to open up and let yourself be vulnerable. Closing yourself off from people will not do any good. Stop internalizing all of that pain and emotions. Talking about your feelings doesn’t make you weak; instead, it exemplifies strength and honesty.
Don’t pick up self-destructive habits
In an attempt to mask their pain, some people take on self-destructive habits like alcohol or substance abuse. Put that drug down. Put the drink down as well. You will only feel ‘better’ temporarily. Once it is all gone, you will return to the state you were in before. If you are tempted to touch that bottle of drink, leave that vicinity, or find something else to keep you busy. [2]
References
- “10 Things I Learned While Dealing With the Death of a Loved One.” Huff Post. Jinna Yang. August 10,2014.
- “How to cope with death the first time you lose someone close.” Chicago Tribune. Richard Asa. February 11, 2016.
- “20 Grief, Loss, and Mourning Quotations.” Very Well Health. Chris Raymond. February 16, 2020 .