How to Cope with the Loss of a Loved One

All of us at one time or another has had to deal with the death of a loved one. We usually hear people tell us that at least they are not suffering anymore and they are in a better place. Even though we know in our hearts that what they are saying is true we still know we will miss them very much. One of the most important thing I can tell you from my point of view is let go of the guilt you may feel. My father was 76 years old when he passed away. My father at that age still worked 12 hour shifts as a security guard. The golf cart he used to check the plant out at night had mechanical problems. My father tried to push it up the ramp and it fell on top of my dad. It had broke his hip. My father never complained about anything. He would always make the best out of a bad situation. He was in the hospital for 3 months. He was in agony but never complained. I was at the hospital every single day until the day my dad died.

On that day I was getting pretty tired towards the end of the day. My mother had told me to go home and get some rest for a while. I had checked with the nurses about my dads condition before I left. They told me he was in stable condition. Well my mother was there with my brother and two sisters so I decided to go home for a little while. Four minutes after I left the hospital my dad had passed away. I felt so guilty that I had left my dad. I wasn't there to say goodbye to my dad. It had been about a month after my dad had died and I was cleaning some things. I had found a journal that I had kept while my dad was in the hospital. I wrote in my journal every day that my dad was in the hospital. I kept up with his progress daily. I had forgotten what i wrote in my journal after my dad had died. I had been feeling so bad that I had not been with my dad when he died when in fact after looking over my journal I was the last person to tell my dad that I loved him before he died. Before I left the hospital I had gave my dad a kiss on the for head and told him I loved him. I truly believe after looking back at my journal that is the way my dad had wanted it to be. He did not want me in the room when he had died. The guilt I had felt for so long was now finally gone.