Anticipatory Grief Not Understood - Day 150

Anticipatory Grief Not Understood

Day 150

Your spouse may have experienced a long illness before his or her death. As a result, this “anticipatory grief” enabled you to achieve a level of grieving beforehand. This doesn’t mean you will be exempt from grief and pain when your loved one dies – actually, you might be amazed at how much grieving you will still need to do. Anticipatory grief doesn’t make grieving easier, but it can shorten the process for some people.

As a result of anticipatory grief, you may be ready to build a new relationship earlier than others think is appropriate.

Dr. H. Norman Wright says: “A lot of the grieving will occur during time of sickness and decline. You will experience it together and maybe with other friends. After that grieving, it can take less time to get through the grieving process. So, at six months or eight months, a remaining spouse may begin looking around and wanting to build a new relationship, and other people may become judgmental.

“When somebody starts dating six months or so later and even marries within a year, it doesn’t mean that they did not have a good relationship. There is a lot of anticipatory grief that goes on.”

Let God’s words encourage you:

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Oh Lord, when people judge and misunderstand me, it hurts so much. But I don’t want to live my life to please them; I want to live my life to please You. May my words, thoughts, and decisions be pleasing to You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.