Healing

Some say you never really heal after the loss of a child while others say you heal but you will always be different.  I feel like it is a little of both.  Healing takes courageous effort.  One must be willing to work, willing to feel hurt, willing to try again tomorrow.  My own healing has been a long journey.  One of much pain, love, and courage.  I feel like the single most healing thing for me has been doing the reflection and journaling for the Carly Marie Project.  I had tremendous healing with the 2012 project.  The project makes you think about the things that ultimately change your life and shaped you.  You take the time to reflect and ask yourself: why do I feel this way, why did this make me feel so hurt, why does this make me smile?

After the project I put together all my thoughts and created a book to keep.  I found that it almost erased some of those bad memories I kept holding onto.  The writing turned out to be much more therapeutic that I could have ever imagined.  That is why I chose to continue the project this year.  I am amazed at how a single year has changed how I feel about some things and yet others remain the same.

I would encourage everyone who is dealing with the loss of a child to complete this project.  You don’t have to do it publicly.  Write it down in a journal at home and place it safely with the special things you have kept for you child.  This project comes with tears but the healing that can take place if you take the time to reflect each day is amazing.  I will be forever greatful for taking the chance and completing the project.  I hope you will find a similar healing.

Courage doesn’t always roar.  
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”