Chapter Eight
Creating Self-Care
In a culture overcome by demands, expectations, and stress, paying attention to and being intentional about your grief process may be difficult.
Some mourners believe it can wait, while others try to avoid it. Grief will not be pushed aside or denied.Trying to postpone your grieving merely delays your healing. And as your grief waits, it festers, growing in intensity, creating more misery in the interim. It can rob you of reality, energy, and your ability to forgive. It may rip away your sense of self and your desire to live. Ken and Lorrie were living in this place of despair.
Perhaps their greatest piece of self-care was putting into words their experience of hopelessness. Ken shared great insight through this process in a gathering for supporters of the Center for Grief, Loss and Transition.
The following excerpts from his sharings tell the story: Ken and Lorrie received theraputic referrals from the hospital chaplain, their pastor, and physicians. Ken began his journey as a reluctant participant. Again he said, "What could anyone say or do to relieve our pain? How could anyone understand our loss?" (Read The Book)
