Living after loss - #1

I wanted to contribute recently to steem, but I didn't believe I was or I am grammatically capable, creative enough or had an interesting, knowledgeable topic that would be meaningful to write about to resonate with others.

But recently my uncles wife passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the young age of 63. And from the heart, I give you my first contribution.

Loneliness, is what I mostly see and feel surrounding him like a winter coat pulled tight against his body in a storm. A storm, I know he has to weather, but not alone.

Reading back over this part sounded like something lifted from a novel, but it's not, it's how I truly feel and the analogy just developed in writing.

I have lost and journeyed my way through the grieving process. I have felt the pain and understand the vacuum created after loss. But I'm also aware that we all have to make that journey in varying ways and deal with it in our own unique way too, in order to come out the other end intact and ready to move on with our life.

Yesterday, I saw my uncle for the second time after my aunts passing. I asked how he was and he responded with what seemed like a standard positive response "keeping busy".

Currently, I am in the midst of moving my elderly parents into another home. Therefore, it's always in a crowded environment I see my uncle. I've given him a big bear hug and will continue to hug him on each and every time we meet. I am also aware that the likelihood of meeting him in less crowded circumstances is something that, will happen.

Tonight, I woke to think about how I behaved around him and should behave towards him in future and now find myself researching how to behave around a grieving relative.

I feel, I know mostly how to be, but I want to make sure I'm doing my best for him, to make him feel at ease. Just to let him know, if he finds himself in need of leaning for a while, he can.

In my next contribution, I will describe what I came to learn.

I share this with the hope this servers to help someone who is grieving know that people have them in their thoughts, hearts and for some, in their prayers too.