Life after losing a parent.

Losing a parent can leave one feeling debilitated. It can leave you questioning your world and sense of reality. No matter the circumstances, there's never really a way to ever be prepared for the complexity of emotions that can pour over you.

My mother transitioned 6 days before my birthday in a fight to colon cancer. As many whom have lost parents, you may imagine many things: the interaction of your parents with your children, dancing with your parents at your wedding, laughing with your parents about moments that may have once made you both upset, sharing the ups and downs of adulting with them, etc.

Many of these imaginations crash down when your parent leaves the physical realm. You reflect on the time that you did have with one another to bring a sense of peace and understanding to feelings that you may not be able to articulate.

It is important to know that there is life after losing a parent. One may think obviously there is life after. However, this is not as obvious as it may seem. After losing a parent you can either go on existing or living. Existing after losing a parent is when one becomes engulfed with sadness and depression with no drive, purpose, or motivation to go on. The idea of living by virtue is the opposite.

When you choose living life after loss, it is one of bravery and courage. When my mother transitioned I lost all motivation to eat, workout, and even bathe. I was completely out of alignment and not myself. I was existing rather than living. It took a lot of bravery, courage, and a deliberate choice to rise from this space of darkness.

I did a lot of healing that I still do today to keep myself in alignment. I can't say that losing a parent will be easy or is easy for those that have lost one or both already, but there are effective healing modalities that hold the key to life after losing a parent.

Here are 10 effective healing modalities to use when choosing LIFE after losing a parent:

1) Seeking counseling after the passing of a parent

-therapy was extremely helpful for me

2) Prayer/having a conversation with God: this does not have to be complex and can be as simple as thanking God for your food before a meal or praising him for waking and another chance at life while in the shower

3) Meditation

4) Journaling & affirmations

5) Exercise

6) Cooking at home; heavy on the greens

7) Long walks alone or with a good friend

8) Listening to healing frequencies

9) Yoga & breathwork

10) Long baths

The most important thing to remember is to be patient with yourself as healing does not occur overnight. But with support, purpose, and intention, healing and life after is inevitable.