narrative essay about losing someone you love

Narrative Essay About Losing Someone You Love Dearly

Tristian stewart's memorial medical hospital: short story.

Everyone had the same pain I had--losing a great person. Outside, the rain pattered lightly down as if it were my tears on my face. Like my grandmother’s last few breaths, I huffed and puffed profusely at my grandmother’s funeral; the clouds gathered. The bright flashes of lightning crashed down on Earth as I yelled at my withered-looking grandmother. And thunder diluted the “sorry for your losses”, “it’ll get betters”, and “you’ll get through these.”

Examples Of Grief In The Odyssey

There are unlimited ways to express healthy emotion. As everyone experiences this, loss is understood as a natural part of life. However, we can still be overcome by shock and confusion, leading to prolonged periods of sadness or depression. The sadness typically diminishes in intensity as time passes, but grieving is an important process in order to overcome these feelings and continue to embrace the time you had with your loved one.” (Nordal PhD, Katherine APA).

My African American Family

Her passing was a major loss because she was the only person that really loved me she taught me how to cook, we went fishing and we always attended church due to her spiritual beliefs in the lord. Foremost, she taught me how to pray and read the bible. Lastly, we took care of family member’s children and I took care of her in reality and the family member’s children at a young age. She needed me there because she was overweight and had a considerable health issues besides her heart.

Poignant Grief Research Paper

I enjoy your post! Your right poignant grief is when a person has moved on from the imprisonment state. The unpredictable may become quit scary since the individuals are facing reality without being under the influence. The addiction substituted reality for a non-realistic version for compassion so that the individuals become numb now they’ve been removed from their familiarized comfort zone and attachment causing the person to cope in a different and having to cast their cares in order to get through their deepest feeling of pain and grief for relief. Poignant grief is defiantly a psychological and physical pain consist of a core of deep emotion.

Grief In Ordinary People Essay

There are multiple stages of grief and healing. The stages have no order, so one person may not be at the same stage as another when dealing with the same situation. The same thing applies to the stages of healing. In the novel “Ordinary People” by Judith Guest, the Jarrett family, Conrad, Calvin, and Beth are all in different stages of grief due to the loss of Buck and other reasons varying from character to character. The two main characters Conrad and Calvin move from stages of grief to stages of healing by recognizing why their grieving.

Personal Narrative: The Day Before Thanksgiving

Everybody was coming at 12:00, because we were gunna start eating dinner at 3. As we were getting ready, cleaning the house, cooking the food, it turned 12:00 and we heard a knock on our door. I ran over, opened it, and it was my friend Kasey. A little bit later everybody was their, having fun.

Essay On Anticipatory Grief

In anticipatory grief the life of the patient and their family is re-examined; the closeness of relationships, life accomplishments and the anticipation of missed family events. It is preparing for a

The Book Thief Death Essay

Many people spend too long grieving about people they have lost, instead of remembering all the good times with that person, don’t be sad they are gone, be happy about the time you had with them. “Grieving is a necessary passage and a difficult transition to finally letting go of sorrow - it is not a permanent rest stop,”

Personal Narrative: My Life In Las Vegas

Las Vegas is considered the city of sin and believe me there is plenty of sin going around. It is a place filled with laughter, cries, tragedy, and loss. I have been living in Las Vegas my entire life minus a few years where I lived in Reno, Nevada and Monroe, Louisiana as well. My mother was the light of my life. We shared laughs together that were occasionally accompanied by tears.

Letter To A Mother's Funeral Discussion Questions

What would you do if a parent, a friend, spouse, child – anyone you truly love – died? I’m assuming, sense you loved them, that you would be sad. You might cry, maybe be in remorse wondering if it was your fault, or maybe you would be emotionless; lost, without words to even express… anything. Regardless of what you’re feeling, I know for a fact that you would go to their funeral. Why would you go though?

Essay On Loss And Grief

LOSS, GRIEF AND HEALING As human beings, we suffer losses of many kinds and sizes in our life time. While some of these losses are small and do not hurt much, some are big and hurt deeply. Those that are accompanied by pains that are difficult to bear include the loss of a loved one through death or divorce, cheating or unfaithfulness in a trusted relationship or loss of good health when a diagnosis of a terminal illness is made. In all these instances of loss, pain and grief are experienced and an emotional wound is created which needs healing.

Personal Narrative Essay: Power Over Death

Power Over Death A young boy named Tom had a nice family, a happy family, when he was once a young child he involved in a fatal car crash killing his father and mother, leaving his sister was in critical condition. Tom moved in with his grandparents, his sister went to a foster home. Tom’s grandmother was is a progressively worse state of dementia, his grandfather was in his late nineties, close to death, sadly his grandmother and his grandfather also dies in the short span of six months.

Narrative Essay About Broken Heart

Broken heart hurts your feeling. Nobody associates broken heart with happiness. Likewise, I felt terribly sad when I had my heart broken. I remember it felt so disastrous for me that I almost couldn 't do anything for one month. However, as time passed by, I began to think about what lesson I could learn from it.

Personal Narrative Essay: The Last Day Of My Life

Even though I was only seven, I still remember it like it was just yesterday. It was the spring of 2010 and the three of us; Mom, my older sister, Grace, and I were all staying in a lodge in Salt Fork, Ohio for spring break. Most children my age were pretty insensible when it came to the things they wanted, and I had been, by no means, any exception. It was on the second to last day of our stay when Mom finally let us go into the gift shop attached to the lodge.

Personal Essay: The Art Of Letting Go

The Art of Letting Go Have you ever tried of loving someone so much but chose to let that person go? I think that’s the perfect question for me to say “Absolutely yes!” I used to love someone so much that is long distance to me and to the extent that he means the world to me. Exaggerated, right?

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Personal Narrative: Losing A Loved One

Losing a loved one is one of the most challenging situations a person can face in life. Losing a loved one is not just about death, a person can go through a break up and it still be consider losing a loved one. No matter how it feels or who the loved one was the pain is still there. In my case losing a loved one was when my brother died, in the story Removal of the Cherokee Chief John Ross’s wife dies, and in Christmas Eve on Lonesome when Buck’s female friend finds a new love . Right before my brother died my life was going very well. I had great grades in high school, I was in just about every club, and I was on three sports teams. When I got the news that my brother had died I felt like I lost everything. My brother was my best friend and the person I went to for advice for school or life situations. My other siblings thought I was going to start failing my classes, and drop …show more content…

In college you discover who you really are, and I found out who I am just being in college for two years. With God I know all things are possible, and I know with my degree choice I’ll have a bright future and a career I will love. One thing in the sixteen years I was able to spend with my brother he always told me to find my happiness in things I loved to do. Granted death is not a happy subject for anyone who has lost a loved one, but in my case I would say that losing my brother was one of the hardest things I have had to face so far in my nineteen years. But knowing that with everything choice I make in life would have made him very proud and happy is what keeps me going. In other words the two stories: “Removal of the Cherokee” and “Christmas Eve on Lonesome” both men learned to face losing a loved one just like I did. Even though Buck didn’t have anyone die he almost killed a man for ruining his happiness. Happiness is the greatest thing a person can have after battling

In this essay, the author

• Narrates how they became depressed after their brothers passed. they worked two jobs to ease the pain of not having their brother around on a daily basis. buck from "christmas eve on lonesome" found his daily activities in prison quite hard.
• Explains that their brother told them to find their happiness in things they loved to do.
• Concludes that losing a loved one is hard when you try to face daily life without them, but it's amazing when one finds happiness and knows they would be happy with the choices they make.
• Opines that losing a loved one is one of the most challenging situations one can face in life.

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Nashville Gone To Ashes Analysis

At some point in everybody’s life they feel the sorrow and anguish of losing somebody. The the stories “Nashville Gone to Ashes” and “When It’s Human Instead of When It’s Dog”, both a widow and widower are not able to move on with their life after the loss of their loved one. In both cases the mister and the widow both come to the conclusion that their significant other is not coming back leading them to find ways to cope with their deaths, move on and function the best they can with their lives.

My Mommys Been In A Car Accident

At Ten P.m on September 23, 2006, my mother Kelli Elizabeth Dicks was hit by a car on Route 146 southbound trying to cross the high speed lane. She was being picked up by a friend. Instead of taking the exit and coming to the other side of the highway, her ride suggested she run across the street. The impact of the car caused her to be thrown 87 feet away from the original impact zone and land in a grassy patch of land, her shoes stayed where she was hit. She was immediately rushed to Rhode Island Hospital where she was treated for serious injuries. When she arrived at the hospital she was rushed into the operating room for an emergency surgery. The amount of injuries she sustained were unbelievable. She broke 18 different bones, lacerated her liver and her spleen, ruptured her bladder, and she collapsed both lungs. When she went in for her emergency operation, and had her

Themes of Loss in "The Shawl" and "Bone Black"

The loss of a family member is always hard to deal with and it affects everyone differently. Some people are open about their feelings and others bottle them up. In terms of relationships within a family, usually the closest is between the parent and child. When this relationship is cut short or is nonexistent because of a loss it can be especially devastating. The loss of a family member does not always refer to an actual physical loss, but can also refer to an emotional distance put between two people. In “The Shawl” by Louise Erdrich, there is an example of a physical loss and its effects on the family, while in “Bone Black” by Bell Hooks the loss shown is of the emotional kind and it's aftermath. It is interesting to view these stories side by side, as they showcase how both types of loss effect the family.

The Bereavement Journey

Breavement is handeled differently in different generations. Weather it is a kid that has a terminal illness or an elderly person who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, each breave differently. Breavement deals with not just someone clsoe dying but, someone themselvs who is diagnosed with a life threatening illness.

Overcoming Tragedy in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The loss of a loved one is a tragedy for family, friends, and the community as a whole. Emotional reactions can range from quiet to intense and the circumstances of the loss can definitely be a factor. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the citizens of Maycomb County suffer a series of losses that affect the Finch family and the entire town. These losses include the death of Tom Robinson, the death of Mrs. DuBose, and the near-death incident involving Jem and Scout. These losses all have lasting impacts. Similarly, one’s own family may suffer loss and near-loss situations, making this novel especially relatable. Therefore, getting over a tragedy can be challenging. First, acknowledge that a tragedy has occurred, then express personal emotions and feelings, and finally focus on the positives.

Amy Bloom's By-And By Metaphors

Death is an inevitable process that every being must in endure in their lifetime. The loss of a family member or close friend can shower the survivors with numerous emotions. Despite the emotions, grieving the loved one is a natural process in which helps with coping and healing. The short story “By-and-By”, by Amy Bloom uses symbolism and imagery to demonstrate how a person navigates through the fluctuating, short-term, or long-lasting stages of grief. The nonlinear chronology of the story complicates the reader’s comprehension of the narrator’s grieving process.

Personal Narrative - My Parents' Funeral

Celery sticks served as slugger bats; olives substituted for baseballs to be smashed across the kitchen. Cousins Sonny and Guido were pitcher and catcher, and my sister Dorrie was a combination of infield and outfield. I came up to bat for the first time just as Gramps called for us to come into the living room.

Personal Narrative: Living With Grief

As you were not able to live with grief and did not have the childhood of your dream, you will offer this opportunity to your children. You will hope that your children admire you and think that they have the most beautiful, kind and caring mother.

Complicated Grief Essay

Losing a child to death is every parent’s worst nightmare. When this tragedy does occur, research has shown that bereaved parents are significantly more likely to develop complicated grief in the wake of a child’s death. Complicated grief can be present in up to 15% of all individuals who are grieving; higher percentages are observed in grieving parents. Manifesting as a prolonging of the acute stage of grief, complicated grief is characterized by deep longing for the deceased; intense and persistent sorrow; preoccupation with or, conversely, avoidance of reminders of the one who died; and shock, anger, and bewilderment at the loss. Treatment for complicated grief is therefore likely to be more difficult than that of ordinary grief or bereavement,

Personal Narrative: My First Funeral

This is crazy. Why am I afraid? I’m acting as if this is my first funeral. Funerals have become a given, especially with a life like mine, the deaths of my father, my uncle and not my biological mother, you would think I could be somewhat used to them by now. Now I know what you’re thinking, death is all a part of life. But the amount of death that I’ve experienced in my life would make anyone cower away from the thought. This funeral is nothing compared to those unhappy events.

Loss In 'One Art' By Elizabeth Bishop

During the span of one’s lifetime, a lot of things come and go. Losing people or even things seem to be a common occurrence for everyone and it often brings sadness or grief. Elizabeth Bishop talks about loss in her poem titled “One Art,” acquiring a posture that promotes healing and the acceptation of it. Listing things she lost, the author talks about the commonness of losing and expresses that, while some might be easy to overcome, others can hurt people at a deeper level.

Personal Narrative- Cousin's Death

It is amazing how many things we take for granted. We make plans for the day, and don't think twice about how those plans can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I never thought much about it myself, until I was faced with the shock, and undeniable truth of my cousin's death. I don't think anyone really thinks about tragedy until they are actually faced with shocking news.

Personal Narrative the Suicide of a Friend

Can you single out just one day from your past that you can honestly say changed your life forever? I know I can. It was a typical January day, with one exception; it was the day the Pope came to St. Louis. My brother and I had tickets to the youth rally, and we were both very excited. It was destined to be an awesome day- or so we thought. The glory and euphoria of the Papal visit quickly faded into a time of incredible pain and sorrow, a time from which I am still emerging.

Personal Narrative- The Fatal Car Accident

I always hear those old sayings. In the course of one day I can hear them about everything from retraining old dogs to getting up early. I think they make sense and I even ponder on some of them, but I never really thought one might mean as much to me, or become as realistic as it has become in my life. The clichés about telling those you love, how you feel, before it is too late and the ones about living every day like it is your last have an all new meaning to me.

Personal Narrative: My Father's Death

My father passed away in 1991, two weeks before Christmas. I was 25 at the time but until then I had not grown up. I was still an ignorant youth that only cared about finding the next party. My role model was now gone, forcing me to reevaluate the direction my life was heading. I needed to reexamine some of the lessons he taught me through the years.

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Losing a Loved One Essay example

Grief counseling essay.

Grief is defined as a type of emotional or mental suffering from a loss, sorrow, or regret (Dictionary.com, LLC, 2010). Grief affects people of all ages, races, and sexes around the world. Approximately, 36% of the world’s population does or has suffered from grief and only a mere 10% of these people will seek out help (Theravive, 2009). Once a person is suffering from grief it is important to receive treatment. All too often, people ignore grief resulting in deep depression, substance abuse, and other disorders (Theravive, 2009). Grief counseling is very common and can be very helpful to a person in need of assistance. Grief counseling provides the support, understanding, and

Personal Narrative: Wedaddy's Death

I was awaken by my mothers frantic crying. Immediatly I broke down because I already knew what that meant. My grandpa was no longer living. We rushed to hospice were his cold lifeless body was still laying in the hospital bed. Walking into that room was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. The moment we stepped into the door our family members were all circled around the hospital bed and all that was heard was weeping and crying. My mother was clearly affected the most by his death because she was the definition of a daddy’s girl. When she saw him laying there she instantly brroke down and rushed to his bedside and began talking to him as if he was alive. I remember her repeadtly saying “ I love you Wedaddy”. The look on my mothers face broke my heart. She had always been the light in a dark room. She was always the person that found a way to put a smile on everyones face. I had never seen her like this and it frightened me. Looking at my garndpa lay there lifeless and realizing I would never be able to get one of his famous hugs hurt

Parental Grief Essay

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Also, sometimes a parent's love makes them unable to let go. I've seen so many parents put their needs above their infant's because they just can't bear to suffer the grief of losing a child. It's heartbreaking when you can see parents in total denial and you know that the end will come one way or another but they just can't accept it. I don't know if that's the case here or not, but it's certainly a possibility.

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Grief counseling is a division of social work that involves the interpersonal aspect of the social worker’s role as expert in coping with death. In this paper I will define grief counseling and some ways to cope with loss. Next I will discuss the history and seven stages of grief. There are two main forms of grievers which are intuitive and instrumental. In addition there are four major types of grief which are acute, anticipatory, sudden and complicated. The helping process is explained as well as some disorders related to grief. A current trend for grievers is to seek involvement in programs such as the Canadian Cancer Society, Missing Children of Canada and Victim Services. These organizations provide counseling services and crisis

Bereavement in Teens Essay

Each year thousands of teenagers experience the death of someone they love. When a parent, sibling, friend, or relative dies, teens feel the overwhelming loss of someone who helped shape their -fragile self-identities. Caring adults, whether parents, teachers, counselors or friends, can help teens during this time. If adults are open, honest and loving, experiencing the loss of someone loved can be a chance for young people to learn about both the joy and pain that comes from caring deeply for others. There are many common reactions to trauma, grief, and bereavement among teens. First of all, shock and denial. Feeling numb, stunned and dazed are healthy and normal reactions. Often, it is difficult to “take in” information. The grieved may

Ramaeker Woman

My siblings and I were emotional as while leaving her house the night before flying out. The thought that the next time we will see her will likely be at a funeral, was a difficult realization. Our trip and the photograph both made me appreciate life and the time that we have to spend with loved ones. The time that my family spent made Great Grandma June so happy. She told us that after our time together, she wouldn’t cry when we left, she would only remember all the wonderful memories we created that week. Our photograph will always stand as a memory and a reminder of the wonderful time we spent with Great Grandma

Healthy Grief Essay

Grief is the natural reaction to a major loss such as the demise of a loved one. The grief has many components such as physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual. A person can feel grief during a serious, long-term illness or with an incurable disease. The symptoms can be a great level of depression, gloominess, guilt, and hopelessness. The common grief responses feelings include numbness, shock, anger, anxiety, loneliness, fatigue, and yearning. The other common grief responses to physical feelings such as not being able to sleep, tightness in

Grief Reflection Essay

One insight that I gained about my own experience in addressing grief is that it has made me a stronger person; in addition, I am truly able to be more empathetic with people who have lost someone or something important to them. Being empathetic is a strong skill as a social worker, as we are working with people who may have experienced a great deal of loss in their lives. At the age of 24, I have had to attend four funerals for my grandparents. Therefore, I have experienced a lot of grief for how young I am. Learning how to cope has truly made me a stronger person. I have learned to cherish all the fantastic memories that I have with each one of my grandparents. My partner lost his uncle this past February, which was one of his first experiences losing a loved one. Because of my experience with loss, I

Essay about Anticipatory Grief

According to Kübler-Ross (as cited in Feldman, 2011), there are five steps taken toward death (Feldman, 2011, p. 609). These steps are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Feldman, 2011, p.615). Denial is a defense mechanism that gives the person time to adjust their thinking in-order to cope (Feldman, 2011, p. 610). Anger is a normal method of diverting pain and usually indicates an

Essay about Healthy Grief

The fourth stage is depression, the stage where one will experience feelings of emptiness and hopelessness. Some people worry that their feelings of despair will last forever. Yet this stage is

Dealing With Death Essay

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In the midst of undergoing a serious life-altering incident, one often experiences the feeling of a paradigm shift. It is amazing to see how our perspectives of the world shift when forced to reflect on what is truly important. Such is the way with death. Being near death causes a sharp realization of what is truly important in life--love of family and friends, faith in God, and making the world a better place to live in--and enables one to not merely accept this, but apply it to their life as well. All those typical, average daily worries and concerns about homework, professional careers, food, sleep, personal grooming, etc., while important and necessary in everyday life must seem unbelievably miniscule when the death has wiped ones

The Loss Of A Loved One Essay

The loss of a loved one is a very crucial time where an individual can experience depression, somatic symptoms, grief, and sadness. What will be discussed throughout this paper is what the bereavement role is and its duration, as well as the definition of disenfranchised grief and who experiences this type of grief. I will also touch upon the four tasks of mourning and how each bereaved individual must accomplish all four tasks before mourning can be finalized. Lastly, with each of these topics, nursing implications will be outlined on how to care for bereaved individuals and their families.

Losing A Loved One

Whereas when an unanticipated death happen it’s just blown you away almost literally, you had no idea it was coming and can stay in shock and denial much longer than normal because you can’t seem to make sense of the loss. Many who have lost a loved one suddenly may not be able to grab the reality of what has happen and expect

Loss and Grief Essay

In this essay I will outline the main theoretical models relating to loss and grief.

Descriptive Essay About Losing A Pet

It is unbelievable how we take things for granted. Plans are made for each day, and we do not think twice about those plans. Unfortunately, they can change in the blink of an eye. I never personally thought much about it, until I was faced with the shock and tragedy of the death

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Essays About Losing a Loved One: Top 5 Examples

Writing essays about losing a loved one can be challenging; discover our helpful guide with essay examples and writing prompts to help you begin writing. 

One of the most basic facts of life is that it is unpredictable. Nothing on this earth is permanent, and any one of us can pass away in the blink of an eye. But unfortunately, they leave behind many family members and friends who will miss them very much whenever someone dies.

The most devastating news can ruin our best days, affecting us negatively for the next few months and years. When we lose a loved one, we also lose a part of ourselves. Even if the loss can make you feel hopeless at times, finding ways to cope healthily, distract yourself, and move on while still honoring and remembering the deceased is essential.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. losing a loved one by louis barker, 2. personal reflections on coping and loss by adrian furnham , 3. losing my mom helped me become a better parent by trish mann, 4. reflection – dealing with grief and loss by joe joyce.

• 5. ​​Will We Always Hurt on The Anniversary of Losing a Loved One? by Anne Peterson

1. Is Resilience Glorified in Society?

2. how to cope with a loss, 3. reflection on losing a loved one, 4. the stages of grief, 5. the circle of life, 6. how different cultures commemorate losing a loved one.

“I managed to keep my cool until I realized why I was seeing these familiar faces. Once the service started I managed to keep my emotions in tack until I saw my grandmother break down. I could not even look up at her because I thought about how I would feel in the same situation. Your life can change drastically at any moment. Do not take life or the people that you love for granted, you are only here once.”

Barker reflects on how he found out his uncle had passed away. The writer describes the events leading up to the discovery, contrasting the relaxed, cheerful mood and setting that enveloped the house with the feelings of shock, dread, and devastation that he and his family felt once they heard. He also recalls his family members’ different emotions and mannerisms at the memorial service and funeral. 

“Most people like to believe that they live in a just, orderly and stable world where good wins out in the end. But what if things really are random? Counselors and therapists talk about the grief process and grief stages. Given that nearly all of us have experienced major loss and observed it in others, might one expect that people would be relatively sophisticated in helping the grieving?”

Furnham, a psychologist, discusses the stages of grief and proposes six different responses to finding out about one’s loss or suffering: avoidance, brief encounters, miracle cures, real listeners, practical help, and “giving no quarter.” He discusses this in the context of his wife’s breast cancer diagnosis, after which many people displayed these responses. Finally, Furnham mentions the irony that although we have all experienced and observed losing a loved one, no one can help others grieve perfectly.

“When I look in the mirror, I see my mom looking back at me from coffee-colored eyes under the oh-so-familiar crease of her eyelid. She is still here in me. Death does not take what we do not relinquish. I have no doubt she is sitting beside me when I am at my lowest telling me, ‘You can do this. You got this. I believe in you.’”

In Mann’s essay, she tries to see the bright side of her loss; despite the anguish she experienced due to her mother’s passing. Expectedly, she was incredibly depressed and had difficulty accepting that her mom was gone. But, on the other hand, she began to channel her mom into parenting her children, evoking the happy memories they once shared. She is also amused to see the parallels between her and her kids with her and her mother growing up. 

“Now I understood that these feelings must be allowed expression for as long as a person needs. I realized that the “don’t cry” I had spoken on many occasions in the past was not of much help to grieving persons, and that when I had used those words I had been expressing more my own discomfort with feelings of grief and loss than paying attention to the need of mourners to express them.”

Joyce, a priest, writes about the time he witnessed the passing of his cousin on his deathbed. Having experienced this loss right as it happened, he was understandably shaken and realized that all his preachings of “don’t cry” were unrealistic. He compares this instance to a funeral he attended in Pakistan, recalling the importance of letting grief take its course while not allowing it to consume you. 

5. ​​ Will We Always Hurt on The Anniversary of Losing a Loved One? by Anne Peterson

“Death. It’s certain. And we can’t do anything about that. In fact, we are not in control of many of the difficult circumstances of our lives, but we are responsible for how we respond to them. And I choose to honor their memory.”

Peterson discusses how she feels when she has to commemorate the anniversary of losing a loved one. She recalls the tragic deaths of her sister, two brothers, and granddaughter and describes her guilt and anger. Finally, she prays to God, asking him to help her; because of a combination of prayer and self-reflection, she can look back on these times with peace and hope that they will reunite one day. 

6 Thought-Provoking Writing Prompts on Essays About Losing A Loved One

Society tends to praise those who show resilience and strength, especially in times of struggle, such as losing a loved one. However, praising a person’s resilience can prevent them from feeling the pain of loss and grief. This essay explores how glorifying resilience can prevent a person from healing from painful events. Be sure to include examples of this issue in society and your own experiences, if applicable.

Loss is always tricky, especially involving someone close to your heart. Reflect on your personal experiences and how you overcame your grief for an effective essay. Create an essay to guide readers on how to cope with loss. If you can’t pull ideas from your own experiences, research and read other people’s experiences with overcoming loss in life.

If you have experienced losing a loved one, use this essay to describe how it made you feel. Discuss how you reacted to this loss and how it has impacted who you are today. Writing an essay like this may be sensitive for many. If you don’t feel comfortable with this topic, you can write about and analyze the loss of a loved one in a book, movie, or TV show you have seen. 

When we lose a loved one, grief is expected. There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Discuss each one and how they all connect. You can write a compelling essay by including examples of how the different stages are manifested in books, television, and maybe even your own experiences. 

Death is often regarded as a part of a so-called “circle of life,” most famously shown through the film, The Lion King . In summary, it explains that life goes on and always ends with death. For an intriguing essay topic, reflect on this phrase and discuss what it means to you in the context of losing a loved one. For example, perhaps keeping this in mind can help you cope with the loss. 

Different cultures have different traditions, affected by geography, religion, and history. Funerals are no exception to this; in your essay, research how different cultures honor their deceased and compare and contrast them. No matter how different they may seem, try finding one or two similarities between your chosen traditions. 

If you’d like to learn more, our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay in this guide.For help picking your next essay topic, check out our 20 engaging essay topics about family .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Losing a Loved One and Learning to Live Without

Introduction, life is unexpected and cruel, when there is no more hope, trying to accept the inevitable, learning to live without.

As you get older, you come to realize that life is not always bright and pleasant. Once, there comes a moment when you have to face the reality, and it can be far from what you expect or dream about. Meeting and losing people is inevitable in life, but no one can be prepared to the loss of a loved person. Particularly, it is difficult to accept the loss of a person you have known for all of your life when you cannot imagine a single day without him or her. For me, my grandmother was one of the dearest people. When I was small, she read me fairy-tales and made fancy dresses for my Barbie dolls. When I grew up, she taught me to be a lady and showed how to use make-up. I loved helping her in the garden where she was growing amazing flowers, which were the love of her life. We were very close and could share every secret.

My granny was an active old lady and the news that she was ill shocked me. On a warm spring day, it seemed to be a mistake and I did not believe that anything bad could happen to my dear person. Still, the physician said there were some curable heart problems and proper care together with treatment was expected to return her to active life. Nevertheless, we did not see any positive effect for weeks. Certainly, we could not accept this situation and initiated further examination. I felt as if I was paralyzed when I heard the final diagnosis. We were told she had lung cancer in a terminal stage, and no treatment could be effective because metastases were all over her body. I do not remember any of my thoughts at that moment, I just recall the feeling of helplessness and the approaching disaster when you can do nothing but wait. The only thing we could do to help her was to provide medication for pain relief.

Granny’s condition was getting worse from day to day. Pain medication was working well and she did not feel much pain. One weekend in October when I came to visit her after a week in college, I suddenly realized she did not recognize who I was. It was a hurting feeling of inevitability of something that I did not want to say aloud or even think about. In a week after this event, I was at classes when my father called. Neither he nor my mother ever called at that time not to distract me from studies, and I felt that something bad had happened. My intuition did not fail me. Dad said that granny was gone.

I remember I did not have tears at first. I came to my tutor and said I had to go home. I suppose my face told more than I could tell because no one asked me any questions and let me go. I had to take a bus to get to granny’s house. Although it happened almost a year ago, I remember everything as if it was yesterday. I recall the moment the rain started. It was a windy autumn day and I suppose I needed that rain as never before. I felt I could cry at last and it brought me some relief. I was crying on my way. In fact, I could not stop tears that were running down my cheeks the same way as rain drops were running down the bus window. Crying together with the rain was much more comfortable than crying alone.

The funeral was rather crowded. I was not surprised to see all those people who came to bid final farewell to my granny. She was a nice person who lived a decent life without doing evil to anyone. There were plenty of flowers. She loved flowers and they surrounded her on her last day on earth. I brought white roses from her garden because I knew she loved those most of all. It was surprising, but there were no tears. We were talking about granny who was a bright and merry person, remembering the most precious moments. She would not have been happy if she had known we were crying.

Death itself is frequently frightening and brings grief. Still, learning to live without my beloved grandmother was too difficult for me. I discovered all the emotions typical of grief such as sadness, anger, despair, and sometimes guilt, but could not overcome them (Mental Health America, 2018). I became depressed and could not face this challenge by myself. I realized that I needed psychological support to cope with the loss (American Psychological Association, 2018). My analyst was really helpful and made me understand there was no my fault and that my granny got a relief from pain and suffering. It did not happen in a single day, but I let my granny go. However, I still feel a little sad when it rains.

American Psychological Association. (2018). Grief: Coping with the loss of you loved one . Web.

Mental Health America (2018). Coping with loss: Bereavement and grief . Web.

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Narrative Essay Example on Facing Death of a Loved One

Introduction.

Everything that happens in people’s lives, especially in the childhood, has a huge impact on the future development of personality. Every event goes with the certain type of denotation: neutral, positive, or negative. Unfortunately, almost all negative events have the most forceful impact on every human being. Indeed, different events imply different levels of emotions. For example, a broken toy (even if it is the most loved one) will never cause such emotional damage as a death of a close family member. In fact, the death of a beloved person is one of the worst things that could happen in the whole life. This issue has already been researched by experts in psychology, but since it leads to numerous significant mental damages, new researches and programs should be implemented for finding new ways of solution.

Such a serious issue as a death of a close person took place in my life. When I was younger, I had a very good friend, and, in fact, we spent almost all childhood and adolescence together. My friend had a brother, even though his brother was two years older, they were best friends. One day, the brother of my friend drowned in a river, and it was a huge loss for his family and friends. Their parents were crushed with it, but did everything possible to stay strong for their younger son. Unfortunately, it was really hard for my friend to cope with such a huge loss.

Obviously, when hard time comes, every person needs an emotional support. I also had one almost identical loss in my life, and I knew better than everybody else how hard to live with it emotionally. Talking about me and my friend, I should say that my feelings were rather contradictory, because I wanted to help him to get through this hard period, but, on the other hand, I did not even want to be near him, because, unintentionally, he was a constant reminder of my own loss. However, I did everything I could to cope with my pain to support my close friend.

While I spent time with him, I could also vividly see him passing through all stages of death acceptance. At first, he had a shock and obviously showed disbelief in what had happened. The shock resulted in his abnormal behavior as he did not say a word for almost a month. His whole appearance and actions showed that his conscious created an alternative reality to protect the mind from irreversible damage. In addition, he had problems with nutrition, as in the vast majority of cases, he refused to eat. As a result, poor nutrition negatively affected his physical health and resulted in serious problems with heart, liver, and digestion. Those diseases are successfully cured already, but back to those days his health was in a really bad condition.

In a month, he went forward to the denial stage. All of a sudden, he started talking, but he also acted like nothing happened. Such behavior is considered to be rather normal in psychology, but in the real life, the severity of mental state may vary. In fact, disbelief and denial are the parts of the defensive mechanism, which protected my friend from the dreadful reality. The mind of my friend created the scenario, where his brother was alive, but temporary moved to another place nearby. When he was, on this stage, it was easier for us all on the emotional level, because he did not suffer as much as earlier and later. The denial lasted for few weeks, and his behavior turned into violent. When I had such a situation in life, I do not remember if I was in denial, but I surely remembered that I became a lot more irritable and aggressive.

My friend showed almost identical behavior, and became rather violent and offensive towards other people. In addition, he even was rude to his own parents, which is absolutely unacceptable. Unfortunately, there were no good psychologist in the city to treat him properly, but with our constant help and support he was on the anger stage not for long. I did my best to help him on this stage, because I remembered how important the support of the people one care about.

In addition to the abovementioned, I can say that he was on the bargaining stage as well. My friend prayed every day to God with only one asking, to bring the brother back and take him instead. This stage lasted not for a long time, because there was nothing he could do about. Bargaining had brought a serious depression and my friend had lost the interest to everything surrounded him. It was hard for his parents to see him in such condition. However, we all tried to talk to him, and I remembered what I wanted to hear in terms of my depression. It was a real pleasure for me to know that my words helped him to end depression. Every person, who had faced death of a loved one, needs to know that he or she moved to a better place and even though this person is not near physically, he or she had never left spiritually. Realizing this idea always help people to move forward from depression to acceptance.

In the end, my friend had finally come to acceptance of his brother being dead. His grief never left him completely; however, my friend learned that he can live with this loss, and his brother never left him and would stay in the heart and memories forever.

Symptoms and Ways to Cope with Death of a Loved One

Taking into account the abovementioned story, one can say that death of a loved person is one of the most stressful events that may result in serious mental and physical damages. Even though all major aspects of consequences caused by death of a loved person have already been researched numerous times, this issue remains being topical.

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In fact, the death of a loved one causes the common state named grief. Since different people have different coping mechanism and life perception, every individual may show numerous kinds of reaction (Eshbaugh & Henninger, 2013). These kinds of reaction may vary from serious, but temporary depression to chronic depression that leads to the common death or suicide. In general, death of a close person causes significant issues in psychological, physical, and social aspects.

Every individual with a psychological trauma caused by the death of a loved one starts to show certain symptoms, which indicate the severity of his or her condition. Psychological symptoms imply mood swings, sadness, anger, anxiety, irritability, denial, concentration difficulties, etc. Accordingly, the abovementioned symptoms may also be presented on different levels of seriousness. While some individuals may have temporary and hidden behavioral manifestation, others show the reaction symptoms more vividly. In addition, some individuals may perform rather controversial reaction on the death of a loved one. This can be caused by the serious damage of the connection between left and right parts of the brain. Therefore, logical and emotional sides can be reduced with their normal activity, which may result in significant and even irreversible mental damages.

The physical aspect of the issue should also be taken into consideration, because the abnormal emotional state reflects on the physical health condition of every individual. The most common physical symptoms are heart problems, high or low blood pressure, pains, muscle tension, constant fatigue, sleep disorders (nightmares or insomnia), etc. (Shear, 2012). Since both psychological and physical states are closely connected, the death of a loved one leads to negative physical changes in the body. In fact, some of the symptoms may be performed only on the emotional level (for example, pain), and the lab results may not show any biological changes. Therefore, some physical symptoms may be only the result of self-induced hypnotism and cause minor physical damage. On the other hand, in such cases, individuals with the abovementioned issues need help of professional doctors. Even if the physical damage is not significant at the beginning, without proper treatment it may worsen and result in serious disability, coma, or even death.

Death of a loved one also brings changes in terms of the social area. Such serious psychological trauma makes individuals aggressive or reserved towards other people. As stated above, different people may have different reactions on the same negative event. On one hand, people with psychological trauma gain the tendency to more violent and offensive behavior in order to bring other people on the same emotional level intentionally or unintentionally. On the other hand, psychological trauma may change normal behavior of the person to unsocial, which leads to withdrawing from other people. Both states of mind, aggressive and reversed require help of a professional psychologist since without treatment it will lead to irreversible mental damages. In the cases, if a person shows social signs of his or her trauma, without professional help and support from family members and friends, the changes in behavior may become permanent.

In the cases of death of a loved one, people pass through five stages of acceptance: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This classification mostly refers to people who are dying themselves, but in many cases, individuals who had faced death of a loved one pass these stages as well. In general, denial is a rather normal reaction on a psychological trauma and is considered to be one of the defense mechanism manifestations. Denial reflects in refusal to accept reality or information with negative background. The anger stage of acceptance can be performed in different ways. Thus, individuals with psychological trauma can be angry with themselves, close people, or strangers. Therefore, this stage is very important to control because a person in the state of anger may commit violent actions, which result in serious physical damages. In fact, individuals on this stage require support and treatment more than ever because it is a critical point in coping with death of a loved one.

The third stage of acceptance is bargaining, and it is less mentally severe than the previous one. Bargaining involves some alternative scenarios created by the mind of the individual coping with death of a loved one. Also, this stage implies bargaining with God or other higher forces in different religions. Furthermore, the depression stage of coping with death of a loved one is the first indication of acceptance. On this stage, people began to accept the real facts and events but remain being in a constant depressed state. However, moving to this stage is a rather good sign, because it shows the progression in the mental condition of emotionally damaged person. The final stage is the acceptance itself, and it can be presented in different ways, for example, suicide or coping with the loss.

Therefore, when the first signs of abnormal behavior appear, the treatment should be started immediately. The treatment of physical damages can be drug-induced and imply various medical procedures (Furer, Walker, & Stein, 2007). Unfortunately, if psychological treatment fails, the treatment of physical symptoms and damages may not have a good result in the end or turn into recurrence. As a matter of fact, professional treatment is the key element in solving the health problem caused by death of a loved one. Moreover, the main aspect of the treatment grounds on the psychological therapy that may take a period from few weeks to more than a year.

Taking into account all abovementioned, one can say that death of a loved one negatively affects every individual and is reflected in serious or irreversible damages in mental, physical and social aspects. Individuals coping with the loss tend to pass certain stages of acceptance and require professional help in order to return to the normal physical, mental, and social condition. Lastly, the individual differences in life perception determine the results of treatment and further psychological recovering.

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