Surviving the loss of a child may seem like it’s so hard and impossible, but you need to find the strength to live and turn that pain into purpose. Losing a child changes everything, and the pain is so deep that even just the will to live is difficult to find. No one is ever prepared to lose a loved one, but you can survive this! You have to choose life and never give up!
Find your Intention
Setting your intentions as soon as you wake up is a good start to your day. Your intention for the day might just be to get up or go outside to take a walk, and that is a good start. It may be hard, but this is how we move forward. Finding something positive to start with can really be a big help on your first step.
Find a Happy Moment
After losing a child, we might feel numb and almost outside of ourselves that we can’t even remember our happy moments. But you can still find those happy moments. Let’s make our memories our happy moments rather than bringing them into our grief. Make a conscious effort to find your happy moments, at least one each and every day. You will still feel pain in remembering those memories, but make a choice to focus on those happy moments and how they felt during those times.
Positive Self Talk
Having a positive talk with yourself may be the hardest, but is very important in finding your strength. Make a choice to talk nicely to yourself. Refrain from thinking or having some negative inner dialog with yourself, like blaming yourself or having those many what-ifs. You cannot turn back time, but you can still make choices for the future. Will you move forward?
Self Love
You are a parent, but you are also your own person. Do you love yourself? Yourself needs you and you are the only one who can find your inner strength. You have to make a choice and choose something that can make you happy and still stand despite all the negative feelings you are having right now. Start making an action of self-love; try doing something completely for yourself and not for somebody else. Think it through, what do you wish you could do?
Reflection
At the end of the day, ask yourself. How is my day? Did I set my intention for the day? What was my happy moment? Was I talking nicely to myself? Did I do something that I love? And how does all that make me feel today? This is a journey that you can continue to improve on over time. Making a choice is hard; it is okay to feel pain; it is necessary to feel it all. But do it without ruining your life. Take that one step forward in choosing life!
We have been given a very difficult journey. But I believe you can do this. You can find strength within yourself. You are Mentally Strong