Images in Grief

Have you ever just sat around the house and thought about the days of the past? Sometimes I think about the days when I was a child; going to school, and playing at the park. Other times I think about the day I met my wife and the day I got married. As much as I like to think about these days, I must confess that it’s the images that I can still envision when I close my eyes that keep these memories alive. These images are like videos and freeze frame images that have been recorded into my mind, and written on my heart. It’s amazing really. But just as much as we may enjoy these images of good days past, we’ve all seen those images that we wish would just plain go away. This morning I spoke with a man named John who told me that after his wife passed away he tried to think about the good days of the past, but the only images that would come to his mind, were those of being in a hospital. John would go to sleep trying to ponder wonderful times to bring him rest, but was often disturbed by seeing images of his wife in distress, the oxygen up to her nose, and the final breaths of her life. The question that John had for me; how can I get rid of these images, and begin thinking once again of the good times that we shared? It is quite normal to have these images while in the grieving process. Images of the hospital, images of medical equipment, and even images of our loved one at the time they passed away. So to answer Johns question of how can we rid ourselves of these images, the answer is to try to replace them with pictures of you and your loved one experiencing better days. Though it may be difficult to surround ourselves with pictures of our recently deceased loved one, looking at these pictures can be a great help in replacing these painful images. Keep a few pictures with you in places like your wallet, your purse, your office, or your car. Look at these images often, and focus your mind and your heart on better times. As we’ve all noticed, it’s easier to remember the most recent events that have taken place in our life, so if you’re thinking of your deceased loved one, then the most recent event would be their death. Therefore, replace the most recent event of the death, with the memories of these pictures. And though you may find some difficulty while looking at these pictures, understand that these pictures will help you cope with the passing of your loved one, and they’ll replace the negative images and memories, with much better images and memories. Download the New iPhone app titled "Grief Support" from the Apple App store to get more audio, video, and discussion guides to help you or your loved ones thru the grieving process. Join our online Grief Community www.mygriefsupportgroup.ning.com