You’re Not Alone in Your Grief

In the spirit of openness, I want to share something very personal. When I started Prompted Pages, I made a promise to myself to be open and honest about my experience with grief because I believe grief isn’t talked about nearly enough. No one knows what to expect, nor can they really until they’ve experienced it firsthand. I find that people often deal with grief on their own, alone in their pain, or at least I did. My mission for The Grief Journal was and still is to create a resource so impactful that people who are suffering no longer feel they have no place to turn. Journaling was a place of solace for me and I believe it can help others through their emotions too. I also believe hearing others’ stories will help those grieving realize they aren’t alone. Please remember, you are not alone.

Days after my dad passed away, I turned inward and started journaling. In particular, I found a love for poetry. I felt extremely uncomfortable talking about my grief with those around me, but the words somehow flew on paper when I sat down to write. I wasn’t a poet by any means, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that it was a mode of expression that seemed to work for me.

I wrote my first journal entry five days after my dad passed away. I’d like to share that poem with you now. It’s what inspired me to write the prompt in The Grief Journal “Write a poem of a beautiful memory.” I hope it helps you remember a beautiful memory with your loved one too.

The memories flow like the tears in my eyes

About a father whose soul was never filled with lies.

Death is such a thing that no one understands

But brings families closer, to hold each other’s hands.

It makes you question God and his large role

And why he would have wanted you to fall so deeply into a hole.

But one thing is for sure, my dad put up a great fight

And always, always continued to enjoy life.

No one could have been a better father than he

This is one thing all who knew him could agree.

Overcoming cancer involved pain and suffering

Clearly to see it could be life threatening.

I try to fill my head with only happy thoughts and memories

Like going with my dad to the Florida Keys

And swimming in the ocean til the sun went down

Only to find that there were fireworks all around.

Colors streamed up and down the sky

Putting us in a trance as we watched them fly up high.

The fourth of July was a day to remember

As I knew the love for my dad would last forever.

With love,
Stephanie