As I attempted to crawl out from the rubble, I remember looking for support. I looked for the faces of those that I expected would be there. Only to find that I had lost many along the way. Years later, I understand why and how this happens. Back then, these added losses compounded my grief and made it more difficult as I made my attempts to redefine my life. In hindsight, I was consumed by friends lost and should have focused on those gained and those who remained.
Unfortunately, sometimes it takes tragedy to connect. This shared connection is a unique bond with immeasurable strength. It took my tragedy for people I knew to remove the layer of armor they wear for the world, reach out, share their heartache and validate my emotions. And now, years later, I have this group of amazing humans, each with their own story of grief and struggles. Stories that I never took the time to listen to until I lost Adam. Stories of courage, strength and bravery that gave me inspiration at a time when I needed it most. In reflection, I might not be where I am were it not for the people that reached out. The truth is, I didn’t have the strength to do the reaching.
In the early days of my grief path, I couldn’t fathom a single good thing about this journey. Now, as I strive to move forward daily, I see that the good is right next to me reaching out. I’m beyond grateful for those I have gained along the way. They have taught me the value of doing the reaching, sharing my story and offering emotional validation to others. Essentially, they have taught me how to be a better human.
Humans feel compelled to share their story when they know it can offer understanding. Go ahead, share yours. There are others waiting to feel understood.
~Kim
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Kim Libertini is all too familiar with grief and the Co-Founder of Goodgrief App, the social network for loss available for less than a latte, for download in the App Store, Google Play and www.goodgriefapp.com. You can follow Goodgrief App on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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