Imagine you entered a shoe store that only sold size 10 shoes. You can buy any brand in any color, from sneakers to casuals to dress shoes, as long as they are size 10. For the person who wears a size 10, “hallelujah, “Yeah, this is my store.” But for all the rest of us, including myself (I wear a size 14), I would be like, wait, what? That doesn’t make sense! What’s going on here? A one-size shoe store would be ludicrous and unprofitable because not everyone wears the same size. Like the size 10 shoe analogy, there is no one-size-fits-all to grief. Everyone’s journey will be different; no two are alike. There is no “right” or “wrong way to grieve. What has worked for me and my loss will not work for everybody. Grief is a personal journey. Our journey will differ based on our relationship with that person, our personality and coping styles, our upbringing, cultural differences, personal beliefs, and the circumstances surrounding the loss.
As you travel this journey, you will experience moments when you wonder if this is normal. Am I really grieving? Should I be done with this stage? It seems that others are further along than I am. During those moments, take a deep breath, give yourself some grace, and remember this is a journey. Everyone’s grief will be different because there is no size 10 shoe.
Labor with the Creator 