One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends Many of us find that it helps to interact with other people. This could be visiting friends, shopping, going to a club or class, or even going to work, whether that is paid or voluntary. If we must stay at home, even interacting on social media or the phone can make a difference to how we feel. We may feel anxious about being with other people. While few will truly understand what we are going through unless they have suffered a similar bereavement, and their comments will not always be helpful, it can still be a good idea to try to socialise when we feel ready. As we grow more resilient in our grief, we might find that other people’s reactions have less impact on us. Overwhelmed with love The powerful and distressing feelings we experience following the death of our child are part of the grief journey. But there is hope. Most of us find that as time goes by, we do not feel quite so overwhelmed, at least not all of the time. However, this is not consistent. Grief is not a clean, tidy or chronological process. Other events may further trigger our grief. If we struggle to cope later on with health problems or other bereavements, we might feel as though we have made no progress at all. This is not true. At these painful times we may want to reflect on how much we have already survived. We are living, and that is something we can keep doing, day by day, and moment by moment. Our children will always be a part of our lives, our thoughts and our memories. Their deaths will always make us sad. We will always miss them. Yet most of us find that as we develop our own coping mechanisms and survival strategies, the pain no longer overwhelms us on a daily basis. Instead of the pain, it is the love shared between our child and us, their parent, that fills our heart and thoughts.
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