Wonderful practice, geared specifically towards loss of a loved one or loved ones. Other types of loss/grief are not included, though the affirmations at the end could easily be modified for that purpose and used independently.
I wavered between a 4 and 5 for this practice only because it spoke of recent or long ago loss. It did not speak to losses in progress, which is what I am experiencing now and why I selected this track today. I am holding space now for a dear friend of over 32 years who is in her final days after a years long battle with stage 4 cancer. She lives half the country away, but I will be traveling next week to spend time with her before she leaves us. I had another friend, a much newer one, but dear nonetheless, pass away very suddenly of complications from a different type of cancer (freshly diagnosed) less than 5 months ago, and in the last three years I have said goodbye to eight close family, friends, favorite teachers, and co-workers, only one of which was from COVID-19. As a mental health and disability professional, I have found it very challenging to process my own grief while helping my clients and those in my office with their own. Practices such as this, along with regular self-care, talks with my own therapist, and spiritual/meditative practices, readings, and gentle exercise have helped tremendously.
I was able to apply this practice to my past losses easily, and it helped a great deal with them. Since it specifically mentions past losses, I chose to give it the full five stars for doing what it said it would do, and very well at that.
I just wish I could find non-COVID practices that support the process of losing a loved one and ongoing trauma. My friend is young, a single mother with three beautiful children. She is not suffering from cognitive decline, does not have many, many years of memories in the sense that an elder would, and which is the type of practice I most often find when searching for this topic. I know elder care well. This is not it, though the mechanics are similar.
No, my friend is not an elder. She is a vibrant young woman who is disappearing before our eyes - and for me personally, the first of my true long term dear friends from my childhood that I have remained close to who is going through this process. I always figured I would likely be the first, due to my multiple medical conditions. But no.
Instead, I find myself juggling those medical conditions of mine so I can make the long journey to be with her once again, pausing my work, my education (though only for a week and a half, as my friend is adamant that I finish this doctorate she's been hearing me talk about since high school and is happy it's finally becoming reality at last), and pausing other areas of my life to reaffirm our bond of deep friendship and affection, share memories, and simply BE, together, as we once did when we were younger.
Ongoing loss, the slow steady walk towards that ultimate destination which is right there in front of you instead of far off in the misty horizon. This is the walk I am taking right now. This is the support I had hoped to find. This practice lessened the weight of my prior losses significantly, making this current process lighter and more bearable. I thank you for that precious gift. I have saved this practice to revisit as often as necessary - and as often as it remains available here.
Thank you for sharing this gift with us here. I see you and the light within you. Be well. ❤ 🤲🏻❤
