One of the toughest tasks of the senior years may be dealing with the deaths of family members and friends we’ve loved for many years. The closer we were to the one who died, the more loss we feel. Emotionally, we must deal with feelings of sorrow, anger, regret, fear, and loneliness, just to name a few. The absence of companionship, the fears that come with having to face new responsibilities, the uncertainty of the future, thoughts of our own mortality . .  . these can be tough times.

However, the loss of a loved one can be a turning point for the survivor. In her book, The Courage to Grieve, Judy T. offers some guidance for persons who wish to turn their struggle with grief into a positive experience:

• Let your loved one’s death help you put your own life into perspective: what’s missing, what’s left undone, how are you spending the time you have?
• Be a “creative survivor.”  Make your own life worthy of survival and turn personal tragedy into life-affirming change.
• Don’t give up on living and loving in the future.
• Don’t make “never again” resolutions that you will not be able to live with.
• Picture yourself as you would like to be in the future.
• Use your own experience to help alleviate the suffering of others.

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