Hello Beautiful Person!
Welcome Back to Healing your Grief 2 Minutes at a Time!
This week’s tip goes out to all the front line supporters of all the grieving hearts out there. Grief doesn’t just affect one person. Those who are grieving have so many people around them that care for them and want more than anything to take their pain away. To help ease that pain, we do exactly what we are supposed to do. We witness their grief. We allow them to tell their story over and over and over again because that is what will heal their grieving hearts.
To listen with an open heart is the most loving gift you could give to a grieving heart.
But let’s face it. We are all human. There is no way to watch a loved one in pain or to listen to a loved one’s story without being changed or moved by their emotions. Honestly, it’s really good for us to be the witness. It helps us to gain more appreciation for our own circumstances, find a little more gratitude for what we do have and, most importantly, it strengthens our hearts. But it is not only hard work but it is HEART work for us to be on the front line. And when you’re a front line supporter, you need to remember this one important rule:
Front liners need support too!
We do. It’s a lot to take on their hurt, their pain and their energy. So in order to continue to be available for your loved one, you must take care of yourself. You need to find a “Trickle-down friend.” A what? A trickle-down friend is someone who is one degree away from your grieving loved one whose sole purpose is to support you. You need to offload some of that energy and sadness and be reinvigorated by their love and support. As the grief trickles down and dissipates, it becomes less energetically full and heavy and is easier for the next one removed to let it go. If you don’t find a trickle-down friend and begin to free yourself from this heaviness, you may find yourself depressed, sad, and probably getting sick as your immune system is lowered…and none of that is helpful for anyone.
So here’s your assignment for the week:
If you are a front liner, your assignment is to find a trickle-down friend and clean your slate so you’ll be able to provide more loving support.
If you are the one grieving, forward this post onto your circle of friends. They may not realize how important it is for them to get the support they need too. Help them know. It might be just exactly what they need. Once your front line is reinvigorated, they will be better prepared to continue to nurture and care for your heart.
Thankfully, we all help each other.
We are all here to lean on each other but we can only remain standing if we find the support we need. Stay strong for your loved one by finding your support too. Trickle-down away!
Love and Blessings,
Erin