9/11 - Grief to Gratitude

September 11, 2015 marks the fourteenth anniversary on the day catastrophic incidents engulfed the nation in tragedy. Thousands of lives lost prematurely; and the world was in shock. Family and friends will be forever heavy with the premature losses of loved ones; however, the lives were not lost in vain. The sacrifice of those lives should remind us every day to live mindfully and with as much joy as possible.

There are seven stages of grief; shock, denial, anger, guilt, sorrow and depression, reflection and re-engaging life; much of what I went through when I got fired or the day my doctor told me I was pre-menopausal. I felt like life was over and I had not experienced the basic human accomplishments like raise a few rug rats, watch them fail and succeed; kick them out and watch them come back. But each one of us has our own grief cycles (menopause being one of them) and when we experience tragedy the healing process begins.

September 11th is a time to honor a loved one lost in the tragedy and for the world to pay honors. Yearly or monthly activities that honor the memory of those that departed will help ease away sadness and allow joy to enter again. In 2013 after losing my dad to Alzheimer, the same year I raised money through the Walk to End Alzheimer. Although the 4 mile walk in the dead heat in Walnut Creek that I ended up so exhausted that I almost forgot where I parked my car. But, I got through it and felt tremendous for getting involved with a good cause with great people and for walking in honor my dad's name.

The stages of grief are not the same for everyone. The processes are much the same; however the required time that it takes to move through the healing processes will vary. Healing advances quickly when we dancing, clapping or engage in gratifying activities like an outstanding orgasm of the mouth after eating our favorite dish or when interacting with others to uplift the spirit. (Gotcha!)

To celebrate is to lift the spirit, sadness and lament is heavy and low. Never allow grief to keep you stuck in loneliness and sorrow. It is perfectly okay to embrace grief. We should embrace it when it is our time to grieve. Allow time to grieve and lament and look forward to power in the light of love, laughter and gratitude.