GOOD GRIEF

I loved Charlie Brown while growing up.  I have fond memories around all the holidays and watching the Charlie Brown Specials on TV.

The Peanuts characters, created by Charles Schultz, used the saying, GOOD GRIEF a lot! It was associated with Charlie Brown and his buddies and has become a recognizable saying that is, to this day, still points to the Peanuts gang.

About 24 years ago, I went through a loss and a Pastor gave me a little book by Granger E. Westberg called, GOOD GRIEF.  In it, Westberg goes through the 10 stages of grief that is typical in a loss.

I was holding it all together....until I wasn't!

It's NOT weak to grieve.

1 Thessalonians 4:13b [NLT] says, "...so you will not grieve like people who have no hope."

Notice the Bible verse didn't say to NOT grieve, it said that your grieving shouldn't  be like people who have not hope.

I wrote yesterday about a fellow Kearney High School Class of 1984 classmate who recently died.  There are many who are grieving.  Many looking for answers.  And I want to share some things that I have been through and have continued to go through after a loss.

A "LOSS" doesn't just have to be death (although death is a part of loss), but it can be any type of loss or separation.

• Divorce
• Moving away from life long friends
• Moving away from family
• Death (family; friend; pet)
• Sickness and/or disease 
• Loss of a job or business

After attending the funeral, back in 1993, I was "back to normalcy" in my life, but I didn't feel anything like NORMAL.

Although I didn't want to, I started reading the GOOD GRIEF book and realized, I WASN'T CRAZY for the emotions and feelings I was going through.

Last year, I went through a health issue:  Prostate Cancer.  Next week, August 1st, will be the 1 year Anniversary of my surgery to remove the cancer from my body.

I, again, went though (and at times, still going through) the grieving process.  Some might ask, "WHY?  Why would you grieve something that has shown to be a GOOD thing to you and your physical life, since you are cancer free?"  Tough to explain from my point of view, but let me try:

• It's the knowing that things are different in your body. 
• Things are different by how others react to you.
• The idea of "will life ever be normal again?"
• You have to brace for the "NEW NORMAL" in your life.

So, if you are going through some type of loss I mentioned above, or some other type of loss, you don't have to go through it alone.  Find others that can help you through your grieving process.  

Also, maybe this topic doesn't pertain to you.  That's cool.  Be a support for those who are grieving.

The late Robin Williams once said, "I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone.  It's not.  The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone."

You know....sometimes the path to our BEST YEAR YET is to make sure someone else has their BEST YEAR YET!

FINAL NOTE:

Here are the 10 stages of grief Westberg goes over in GOOD GRIEF (less than $6 on Amazon.com.  Pick up this gem.  It's a quick, easy read that if full of wisdom).

 

Stage:

1. We are in a state of shock
2. We express emotion
3. We feel depressed and very lonely
4. We may experience physical symptoms of distress
5. We man become panicky
6. We feel a sense of guilt about the loss
7. We are filled with anger and resentment
8. We resist returning
9. Gradually hope comes through
10. We struggle to affirm reality