What Do You Need To Understand About Losing a Parent?

Grief after cremation services in Charleston, IL is unpredictable and the process as a whole is challenging, to say the least. When you lose a parent, it can hit especially hard. Your parent is someone who has known you from the very day of your birth and they may know you better than almost anyone else. There are lots of things that people might tell you about grief, or even things you’ve experienced over the years when you’ve lost other people in your life. But here are some things you should understand after you lose a parent:

People Forget Your Grief

While everyone will want to know how you’re doing and what you need in the days or even weeks after you lose your parent, eventually, they will forget and move on. Don’t take this personally because it’s not a big thing in their life like it is theirs. They don’t understand how fresh your grief still is and what kind of pain you are in. It makes it that much sweeter when someone remembers you and checks in on your experiences with loss.

It’s Normal Not To Be Okay

You might feel like you have to be strong for other family members, like perhaps your children who have lost a grandparent in your parent. But it’s also normal and perfectly okay not to be okay all the time. You will have good days and bad days and that’s fine. You might cry when you hear a song on the radio, even years down the road. The pain may never completely go away, but it’s normal not to be okay and you can’t let bad days bring the rest of your life down.

Milestones Are Painful

You know that holidays are going to be harder and when you hit the day of your parent’s birth, it will be impossible not to think about them and dwell on your grief. But there are other milestones that are going to be hard as well. When your child graduates from high school, for example, and your parents aren’t there…or when that same child walks down the aisle…you will miss your parent all that much more.

Guilt Can Eat You Alive

There might be a lot of things to feel guilt over when you lose a parent. Perhaps you feel guilty that you ignored their phone calls at times or that you made up excuses not to go home for the holidays. Maybe you feel guilty because you’re starting to forget what they looked like or the sound of their voice. This guilt happens to most people and is perfectly normal, though it’s never easy to deal with.

If you’re dealing with the loss of a parent, cremation services in Charleston, IL are an honorable and respectful choice. Contact Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home Ltd for help with those services and for the grief resources you might need. Call us at (217) 234-8828 and visit with us in person at 1200 Wabash Ave Mattoon, IL 61938.