Loss of Sibling

[ankhira]

Hi

My 50 year old sister passed away 2 weeks ago. Her service was last Thursday (28/7) where I finally had to admit that it was real.
Does anyone have any advice on how to move forward please. To not feel guilty whenever you start to smile or feel a tinge of joy.
Thanks heaps

Topic

[vmavabelle]

Hi @ankhira, I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your sister. I imagine it must be so tough to have had to admit that it was real. It sounds like you have incredible strength and resilience to keep going and I am glad to hear that you are able to recognise that your sister would want you to be happy. I found it helpful when losing my friend to pay tribute to her, I did this by getting a locket and adding a picture of her inside of it, that way every day she is right by my heart walking with me. I also wrote a letter to her, to express how hard I was finding navigating life without them. I found it helped to alleviate some guilt as I let them be a part of my journey.

I hope the resources @vmulan shared are helpful to you as well.

Wishing you all the best and hope to hear from you soon.

[ankhira]

Thank you both for your caring replies.
I am trying to adopt the thought that my sister would want me to be happy.
I will read those articles too.

[vmAudreyRose]

Hello ankhira,

I was wondering how you are feeling at the moment and if you found the articles that vmmulan posted to be helpful in your journey?

My Grammy recently died, she was like a mum to me and I remember feeling the same way you’ve described. I remind myself daily that my Grammy would have wanted me to continue smiling the way I did when she was around, so now the guilt for me has lessened substantially. I’m sure your sister would want you to feel joy without feelings of guilt too. : )

We would love to hear back from you so we can support you. x

[vmmu1an]

Hi @ankhira,

I am so sorry to hear about your loss of your beloved sister. I am glad that you are reaching out to the forum and sharing your burden of grief. It is normal to feel a mixture of feelings right now and feel guilty to be smiling again in the midst of grieving. What you are experiencing is something you should not have to bear alone.

It sounds like you are feeling a little lost in terms of coping in your everyday life. This is a very resourceful article that may help you to understand your grief and coping strategies that work for you. I have also attached some mindfulness strategies that may help you to cope today.

Coping with Grief

Mindfulness for Grief

Have you tried calling our Griefline helpline at 1300 845 745? We are available 6am to 12am to listen and support you 🙂

[Author]

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