From the time we are little we are faced with loss. For children this can be harrowing as the experience is often out of their control. They then lack the ability to articulate the true expression of their grief. For obvious reasons, this can be misunderstood by parents, and often present in behaviours or emotional outbursts.
Loss is defined in the dictionary as “the fact or process of losing something or someone.” It should be no surprise, then, how long an exhaustive list of losses might be. From the mundane to the extraordinary, from the simple to the complex, loss is everywhere but can be tricky to detect. Here are a few examples:
- Loss of a relationship: Divorce, separation, break ups
- Loss of a job, or workplace, including change of career or retirement
- Shifting family structure, such as empty nest syndrome
- Moving from your community
- Aging
- Loss of identity ( married to divorced, single to married )
- Death – parents, spouses, pets, children, miscarriages,
- Downsizing – moving away from a family home
We often walk through life not recognizing these big life changes as loss. To reject these as significant losses the narrative continues that supports our ongoing denial of death & grief in our culture. Worse, oftentimes we can be experiencing more than one loss at a given time, or juggling the grief of others during a loss.
My passion is guiding others to not only detect these monumental losses as noteworthy, but to encourage acknowledgement and identification of the emotions that live within. If you want to hear how my experience of living consciously with loss can help you reframe your own relationship with loss, contact me for a complimentary consultation.
Let’s enter into an honest conversation about your intimate losses. Please know that you are not alone in your journey.