The past few months have been difficult for me. Grief is hard to put into words. I have not felt like writing, nor have I had the words to say. Even today as I sit down to write this, the words are not coming easy for me like they once did.
My grandfather (Papaw) passed away on September 27. He was 91 years old and I knew that when I saw him back in June that it was probably going to be the last time I got to hug him. At the end of the ordeal he went for 7 days without food or water. 6 of those days his eyes were not open. As I talked to my mom on Day 7. I asked if they as a group had given him permission to go. She responded yes, they did that a few days ago. I took a deep breath and asked her to tell him that I love him and that I am ready for him to be with Jesus. I cried as I said that, but I knew deep down, he was waiting for something. A few hours later she called me to tell me that she had relayed my message. She leaned over close to his ear and spoke the words to him. Within 10 minutes after hearing my words he was gone.
It’s taken me weeks to process that. That my papaw waited to hear from me. That he wanted to know that I would be okay. I will be. I will be ok. Eventually.Grief is hard to deal with. It is hard to soothe a broken heart. I have found a few things that have helped me in my process.
3 Things That Help You While You Are Grieving
1. Exercise. Being sad and grieving can make you want to stay in bed all day. I allowed myself a few days of rest. Then I forced myself to get up and get back at it. I have been going to the gym 3 days a week and it has helped me tremendously. Any exercise will work. Get out and take a walk, Go to the gym, or put in a work out video and follow along. Whatever works for you, just get your body moving. Moving your body does wonders for the hormone levels in your brain Exercise improves mood and sleep, and reduces stress and anxiety. Get moving!
2. Sleep. Make sure your body is getting enough sleep. Staying in bed all day does not equal quality sleep. I had trouble sleeping the first couple of days after my Papaw passed. I also remember the trouble I had sleeping 8 years ago during my divorce. Sleep will affect you in so many negative ways such as: decreased Performance and Alertness, added stress, memory impairment, slower reflexes and feeling lethargic and heavy. Make sure, even if you have to take something, to allow your body to sleep. For me, a few night of melatonin helped me get back on track. Don’t be afraid to call your doctor and talk to them if you think you need something a bit stronger.
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. Essential oils! I cannot tell you how essential oils have changed my life. While all this was going on I received the fall subscription box from Simply Earth to review. The box came with 6 oils, 4 small dropper bottles to mix blends, two medium size canisters to make salve or lotion, some wax chips and several recipes for blends. All this for less that $40 a month! (What a bargain!) Having something to do with my hands helped me to not sit around and think about the loss I was feeling. The blends I made were soothing and really helped me to connect with autumn. I took the Snickerdoodle blend to work to diffuse in my office. I got so many complements about how nice and “homey” my office smells.
Simply Earth Essential Oils
Simply Earth is one of my favorite brands of oils to buy. Why you ask? When I wrote about this brand previously they were giving 7.5% back to hand picked charities every month. Now, about a year later, after speaking with their lead marketing manager, I have found that they are giving 13% of sales goes to victims of human trafficking.
I have written about them before check out the posts listed below for more information.
CAMPHOR AND TEA TREE ESSENTIAL OILS (SIMPLY EARTH)
ESSENTIAL OILS… HAVE YOU TRIED THESE?
I LOVE ESSENTIAL OILS! YOU WILL TOO….
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