Losing something or someone important in your life can feel devastating at the time. It’s certainly no cake walk, that’s for sure. Loss has the propensity to change things forever, and it usually does in one way or another. It can turn things upside down, inside out, and leave you feeling lost, drained, and confused. But regardless of how bad you might feel, it doesn’t always have to be all “bad,” so to speak.
Losing my father last month was certainly no picnic. He had been ill for a while, so it was not a sudden passing and I am more than grateful that he went peacefully and was extremely well-cared for. I also know how very much he enjoyed his life while he was alive. And while the experience is certainly not one I wish to go through again anytime soon, I can also say that I did learn a lot from it, and I know that I will continue to as time passes and I become accustomed to the “new normal” I am experiencing each day.
The biggest and most important message I have taken away from everything I have experienced so far is that loss is not a bad thing entirely. It certainly is not enjoyable at the time, but it holds something very valuable for us – it open the doorway to something new for us and allows us to find our way to an entirely new reality, which is more than likely one that is going to suit us much better than our old reality did.
As we grow and change, our lives must change with us, and this is never a bad thing. It’s kind of like if you were to try to wear pants that fit you when you were 10 years old. Most likely they wouldn’t fit too well now, would they?
Our life works the same way. We outgrow our current existence and it becomes time for us to move on. Whether that means it’s time for us to move beyond this world and into another like my father did, or for me to grow into a slightly different role in my life without him, it’s all the same. It simply means it’s time for change, and that’s never a bad thing.
What’s important to remember and actively look for is the good that is going to come your way as a result of change, and do your best to forget the bad that brought the change into your life and realize it’s simply time to let go of something old and move forward into something new. Look for the new beginning presenting itself to you.