Holding it together
My aunt passed away recently, first it was an aneurysm then the strokes. In the end, the strokes took her. After a 13 hr craniotomy, and months later trying to find her way out of the coma she let go. My mom is mentally and emotionally in pieces (my aunt was the baby sister), my cousin no longer has any living parents and the only other mother figure that I can truly be myself with is gone. Just got done with my grandmother two years ago, my uncle 5 years ago, and now my aunt. Don't know how much longer I can hold it together. Don't think i can stand to go through another loss again anytime soon. If it happens, think I'll break down and fall into pessimism.
@EmpatheticRabbit
It's so brave of you to share such experiences here. I can't imagine how hard it has been on you to lose so many of your loved ones in such a short span of time. *offers hugs and strength*
I lost my sister a few years ago and I know how difficult it can be to cope with losses. In the end, we all gotta find something to keep us going. What keeps you going? I like to think of it as what our loved ones would have wanted us to be like, had they been alive today.
You mentioned your aunt loved you like a mother would, and that type of love is really special. Would she want you to fall into pessimism or would she want you to honour her memory and make her proud?
And last but not least, more than positive thoughts- what we need are positive coping mechanisms. It could be things that make you happy or at least temporarily distract you from the negative thoughts.
If you want to talk more about this in a 1-to-1 chat, feel free to PM a listener from the browse listeners page or put out a general request. Alternatively, participating in the forums may put you in touch with others who have gone through similar experiences.
Take care of yourself~Sierra