Greetings and welcome to the Why Struggle podcast.
I'm your host Barbara J.
Faison and my intention with this podcast is to offer ideas,
Insights,
And inspirations so you can live life better.
Greetings and welcome to week three.
Know the stages of grief.
In the 1980s,
AT&T had a marketing campaign called Reach Out and Touch Someone.
It was all about the power of your voice.
The power of your voice to offer comfort.
The power of your voice to offer healing.
The power of your voice to offer just what is needed at that time.
Over the weekend,
We celebrated the life of Mary A.
Hobson.
Mrs.
Hobson was the mother of a dear friend of mine,
Gina.
Mrs.
Hobson was a fashionista,
A beautician,
And part of my village growing up in Albany,
Georgia.
Earlier in the week before the service on Saturday,
I reached out to Gina just to say hello.
We talked for over an hour,
Laughing and reminiscing about a deep and rich history we've had for over 40 years.
It reminded me of the power of your voice and the power of having a rich history with someone.
As we celebrated Mrs.
Hobson's life,
I was reminded of my own mother and father and what amazing community and support I had growing up.
My childhood in Albany,
Georgia was filled with community and two of my oldest and dearest friends,
Suzanne and Gina,
Are a part of a rich history.
In 2022,
We said goodbye to Suzanne's parents and Mrs.
Hobson was the final parent of ours to join the others in our village wherever they are.
Grief comes in waves,
At least it does for me.
I found myself reliving the grief of losing my own mother through the experience of being there for Gina as we celebrated a life well-lived.
I took time to be with my feelings and emotions on my solo drive back from Albany.
Stopping in familiar places and enjoying the mixture of sunshine and cold.
I mean,
It is winter,
Right?
The excerpt that I'm sharing this week from my book,
E-book,
Audio book,
Why Struggle?
Life is Too Short to Wear Tight Shoes,
Is Know the Stages of Grief.
Know the stages of grief.
Life is a cycle.
We are born,
We live,
We die.
Death is as natural as living.
Recognizing and accepting the laws of nature can help us live more in the present moment.
As we learn to accept our lives and live without struggling over the inevitable,
We can truly appreciate the gift of life.
Denial,
Anger,
Bargaining,
Depression,
And acceptance are the stages of grief.
The time for each stage is as unique as your fingerprint.
Experience the emotions as they arise and be gentle with yourself at this time.
Remember,
We may also experience grief when we make changes in our lives,
Such as a change in a relationship,
Moving to a new city,
Or a change in your work environment.
A loss is a loss.
Give yourself permission to grieve as you feel necessary.
Practice.
Remember when someone you loved died and how you felt.
Think about the emotions you felt.
Were they denial,
Anger,
Bargaining,
Depression,
And acceptance?
Affirmation.
I accept the flow of life.
Peace of mind is mine.
Winter is also known as a time for grief to be an emotion that comes up for people.
What are your thoughts about grief?
You can leave a comment wherever you're listening to this podcast.
