Changing seasons (and learning to thrive)
The chill in the air and the biblical rain we’ve had this last week or so has felt like a rather severe jump into autumn. The seasonal switch brings a reminder that change is a normal part of life.
Change is also a natural part of our human life cycle. The life changes we experience can bring on strong emotions that threaten to overwhelm us and leave us in a state of survival. However, I think there is something we can take from nature’s way of managing change … and that’s the art of being adaptable. Read on for my thoughts on how to do this ...
Back to School
And so with the ending of summer, comes the return of school, and this can be hard to adjust to. The start of school signifies a transition – a change from the old and familiar into the beginning of something new and uncertain. For bereaved children, this can be a particularly challenging time. Think about it … they’re about to embark on a change from the old and familiar into the beginning of something new and uncertain. Our children have already experienced the painful emotions of transition when their parent died, and so any kind of transition has the potential to trigger those painful feelings of uncertainty, worry, and fear again.
It’s All About You
Being parentally bereaved as a child is a significant life changing event. How can we ensure that our children are able to move forward with resilience and blossom?
As the surviving parent, it is an entirely natural response to want to focus on how your child is coping and make their needs the priority. As a parent you get used to making the personal sacrifices from the moment your child is born. There are, of course, many different tools we can use with children to support them in processing their bereavement but one of the key resources available to them (and the one most children would choose) is YOU.
Starting Out
So here I am … starting out into something new … moving into territory that feels unknown and unpredictable. The launch of this bereavement service is part of my own ‘next chapter’ of life, and it feels both exciting and daunting in equal measure! Welcome to Next Chapter Bereavement Services; a dedicated service supporting widowed parents and their children.