Personal Narrative: Dealing With Grief

On 09/12/2016, I Deputy Daniel Pruitt was dispatched to 52455 West Highway 16 for an unattended death compliant. I arrived on scene st 6:45pm and meet with Creek County EMS unit 40.

I wait at the door. I put on my solemn, grim face, I cannot let these children see me as a soft women. I am anything but that, well I guess I am, but we all need to hide our inner emotions some how. My useless husband, Hans, mumbles, “I see the car”. We step outside, most people think Hans and I are crazy for opening our home to these two children, but every little bit of money that we can earn helps. Plus, they can help with the laundry, I think and smile.

Cozy coffee shops, warm summers, friendly hugs…1.2.3. Disastrous events occur all the time. We are always aware that someone, somewhere in the world, is hurtling forwards into tragedy. Tragic endings leave behind unanswered questions, unfulfilled dreams, unspoken thoughts. Those who love you are left behind, in the dust of your presence, spent to forever remember only your memory, not your existence. Crisp slices of toast, piping hot cups of tea, fresh strawberries…1.2.3. We all tend to forget an end exists. We spend our lives compiling as many happy memories as we can, fully enjoying the good days, deeply mourning the sad ones. When tragedy strikes, only then are we reminded that the end is there, and we scurry and try once again to make the most out of

A Journey in Grief: A Mothers Experience Following the Death of her Daughter by Alice W. Terry describes how the loss of someone so dear to you is unimaginable. When I was thirteen I lost my grandmother. She had been sick for a long time; I remember going to visit her in the hospital many times before she passed. The death of my grandmother was my first and only personal experience with the loss of a family member. Although this reality makes it hard for me to relate to this article at a personal level, I am truly grateful for the health and well being of those closest to me. Only being thirteen at this time, I was old enough to comprehend what had happened but I had not been old enough to truly experience the sorrow of losing someone. When I lost my grandmother, all I remember doing is crying. Although I was expressing emotion and grieving her loss, I do not remember having a conversation about what happened. How was I feeling? What is going through my head? Looking back now, it is frustrating to accept the fact that no one truly knew how to comfort me.

One insight that I gained about my own experience in addressing grief is that it has made me a stronger person; in addition, I am truly able to be more empathetic with people who have lost someone or something important to them. Being empathetic is a strong skill as a social worker, as we are working with people who may have experienced a great deal of loss in their lives. At the age of 24, I have had to attend four funerals for my grandparents. Therefore, I have experienced a lot of grief for how young I am. Learning how to cope has truly made me a stronger person. I have learned to cherish all the fantastic memories that I have with each one of my grandparents. My partner lost his uncle this past February, which was one of his first experiences losing a loved one. Because of my experience with loss, I

Please, oh please let the words come. I sit, and stare, and type, and I backspace. No one will like it. My work is crap. Crap, crap, crap. I crumple my paper watch it fall. The clock taunts with its ticking reminding me of all I want to forget. It creates a beat; a song. Poetic chords and dismal notes ring in my ears. But no, this is thought I should avoid. I am great- better than great. People will love this. Oh please, please, please let them love this. Will my legacy amount to nothing more than abysmal hope? This is the last time I think of it. Oh please don’t let me think of it. The blank page stares at me and I begin to write. One word, then another, then another, and another. You will never know what comes out onto the page until it is

The leather feels cold under my fingertips as I sit on our living room couch. My feet are propped up on the small coffee table, banging together lightly in boredom. Mom sits with me, our shoulders barely touching. It's only been twelve hours since I found Laura in the alley and the police already want to put us into protective custody. I don't want to go, but there is nothing tying me here anymore. Laura's gone.

Being told you no longer work for the company brings on a string of emotions such as denial, shock and anger; which are common reactions to loss. Grieving the loss of a job and initial reactions to the news may spark emotions of denial, shock, or even anger. In an article published by the Mental Health Center titled, “Coping With Grief”, they stated that “Grief is a natural response to the loss of someone or something very dear to us. Losses that my lead to grief include the death or separation of a loved one, (and the) loss of a job…” (Mental Health 2014) In a personal interview of an employee, that would like to remain anonymous, we briefly discussed how management told the employee that they would be moved to a lesser paying position

am beset {long pause} How long will I let the pain and loss define my life? An enduring struggle of loss and gain A monumental achievement through the tangles of deeds But is left alone with silent words

I've been fairly busy as of late. Notably, yesterday was a pretty interesting day. I'm not exactly feeling well, think I'm coming down with something. How often is it that a Jedi contracts a cold? Just not feeling as spry, I think. My stomach is churning as I type, something is missing, think I might have to take a reprieve sooner rather than later. Maybe I'll be gone for a cycle, maybe I'll be gone for a year. I don't know. I just know that I need to focus on other things. That's not the point of this entry, however.

Sometimes, the sorrowful events in life bring out the best in your life and yourself. Two years ago, I went through true maturation through a traumatic event that immensely affected me as a person. As pencils were being sharpened and the sounds of school filtered back into my life, I found out my Grandma had Cancer. In an effort to provide better treatment, she came to live with us for four months. That time was incredibly precious and special as I saw my Grandma in a whole new light. I saw her strength, her tenacity, and her positivity.

It's hard to stay out of it when you already in it. Enduring the pain you feel for others, while they don't know it yet. I see through the lies around me and through their fake smiles. I wish I could ask them why they are smiling when they're not happy. What made me stronger was a friend who tried to change my mind to their side of the story. While we both know, you were in the wrong, but still trying to make me think the same way as she does.The lies they told me when I know the truth, and for her to still try to convince me otherwise. When I know my friend is in pain, but hide it with a smile, showing me her real self to me, but for me to do nothing to help her. Knowing that if I said something to the source of her pain, I could just make

When something happens in your life when least expected, it is not always a good thing. Three years ago I didn’t think my life could be turned upside down, but it did. I and my husband started fighting a lot, and couple months later, we lost our house, and life started going downhill from there. As soon as I thought everything was getting better, it just got three times worse. This year, I told myself I was going to make it better for my family, but then I lost my kids to CPS.

As we mature, we learn to appreciate certain people in our lives, for instance: our grandparents. We live with the fear that we can lose them in the blink of an eye, as every passing day brings them closer to their death beds (hyperbole), but we're too busy living our lives, making time for work, school, and friends (Euphemism). We assure ourselves that we have forever to spend with them, but that is where we are mistaken. Unfortunately, this year in January, I experienced the cruel reality of death, myself. I have realized, truly how much death can change your perspective on many aspects of life. When I faced with this death, I began to appreciate family more, began to express my love for them more out of the fear that any goodbye could be the last.

Gone. You were just there and now you’re gone. In a flash. Still can’t believing. You’re last words to me etched in my mind “Keep a stiff upper lip!”