The majority of people struggle with the death of their loved ones. Death is hard to swallow. There is no shame in struggling to cope with the death of someone close.

Many years ago, there was once a child who lost his mother to cancer. Henry could not fathom why his mother was nowhere to be seen. He spent hours looking for her. He memorized all the places where mother would hide when they played hide and seek. Henry checked in the closet, behind the door, in the bathroom, in the attic, under his bed, yet she would not appear. Finally, once Henry gave up, he asked his father where mother was hiding. He had explained with tears running down his face that he had searched everywhere for her but failed at finding her.

Henry's calm father answered, "She is everywhere. You will find her in the plants she took care of. You will find her in the paintings she painted. You will find her in the piano she played. You will find her in her favourite song. You will find her in your eyes. You will find her in your heart."

Many confuse the value of memories. For those who have lost someone they love, I am sure they treasure their memories more than anything. They would not trade their memories for money or fame. If they would choose to do so, they would live their lives in regret. The point to all of this is that it is impossible to "get over death". Death comes to all. I am going to share with you the truth about how we must go about death.

Truth

Death and time are best friends. You cannot escape death nor time here on earth. Let's change our perspective on the "getting over" to "accepting and honouring" death. Don't they call a funeral a "Celebration of Life"?

There are beautiful ways of accepting and honouring the death of loved ones. Henry later remembered the lesson his dad taught him when he was older. Every year, Henry would take care of the plants his mother took care of. He would then paint. Henry would play the piano. He would then listen to her favourite song. All of this Henry did with all his heart. He cried. Yes, it is okay to cry.

Nature teaches us about the circle of life. When something comes to life, it will also progress into leaving this life. Many people who keep to heart their religious beliefs find comfort in knowing that loved ones are not lost. Others who do not believe in any religion believe in the circle of life. This truth that I have shared is meant for everyone, believer or not.

Avatar

Something that I believe to be beautiful is the Tree of Souls in the movie Avatar. This tree, to me, represents that the souls of the deceased are not gone, but live within the memories which exist. These memories can go from generation to generation if cared for. Take time to connect to your tree of souls.

Here are some things you can do to help you accept and honour the death of a loved one:

Visit their grave often

Enjoy the activities that they enjoyed doing

Listen to their favourite music

Share memories of them with others

Have a yearly celebration of life in their honour

Write them a letter and read it on their birthday