It’s inevitable that everyone is going to die, at least eventually. The normal progression is that our grandparents will pass, followed by our parents several years later. That is never something we want to deal with, but it is something we eventually will.
You are close to the person who passed away, and it is going to be a big adjustment. You are no longer available to call them when something wonderful happens in your life. They won’t be at family gatherings anymore, being the life of the party that everyone loved.
If you are struggling with the loss of a loved one, you will never truly get over it. It is very frustrating when people say it’s going to get better. However, your loved ones want you to get on with your life. Think about the fond memories you had with them. Tell stories to your kids or other family members to keep their memories alive.
Do take the time to grieve. Some people try to put up a wall, pretending they aren’t affected by the absence of their loved ones. That’s a mistake, and the grief will build up within you. It’s natural to feel sad and lonely. It’s also natural to ponder about your mortality, especially when the person who is gone is a parent. After all, if you are only 25 years younger than your parent, and you project that your parent lived the average life of people in your family, then it doesn’t take much to see that your time has become somewhat limited.
That isn’t something new. Everyone is aware that the time in this world is limited. It just puts it into perspective when you lose a parent. You should use it to live the best life you can in the time you do have left. The good news is they often make significant medical discoveries about every 50 years, so that fits right in the time frame.
While you never get over when someone you love dies, you do know the sun will rise and set every day. Continue to be great parents to your kids and spend as much time with the people who are still here. Those times will be the ones that you cherish the most. And when your time finally does come, you will know that you did the best you could, and you will want others to continue on their journeys.