Grief is love with no place to go.

Don’t let your grief become trapped inside

Twenty years ago, when I taught scrapbooking, I often came across ladies working through grief. I’d help them to document their memories into beautiful albums to treasure forever.

Grief is love with no place to go, so finding an outlet for that love is, over time, what truly diminishes grief. All the love we feel for the person we’ve lost can become trapped inside. We can no longer see the person, hug them, interact in daily life; there are only memories, and it feels oh so painful! But what if we direct that love into something real, something bigger than ourselves, find a place for that love to go?

Give back to the world around you

Well-meaning friends offer what comfort they can, but the fact remains that if they’ve never experienced grief, they really don’t know what to say. It’s a very personal journey, and no two people will feel the same. I discovered that all the love we felt for the person we’ve lost needs to be channelled elsewhere. Love does not cease to be, and it must continue to be given if we are to thrive. I helped many ladies to document the life story of their loved ones. Putting it down in writing accompanied by pictures is one creative way to begin healing.

The Healing Process Can Be Filled With Love

Reliving the memories uses the love we have inside. You can pour it out onto the pages producing positive feelings of happiness. Journalling helps in the healing process, and journalling with gratitude inspires us to think outside of ourselves.

There are many other ways of showing our love:

creating a charity in your loved one’s name
growing a memorial garden
celebrating their life on special anniversary dates
talking openly about them when the occasion arises
supporting others who also grieve

If grief is love with no place to go, we need to find it a home. These are a few ideas; I’m sure you can think of unique ideas that directly relate to your loved one. Personalise the ideas to give your love purpose.