Losing a sibling is probably one of the most difficult things that someone could go through. It's one of those things where you just feel as if there's something missing and you don't exactly know how to go on after it happens. I remember the morning my sister passed away. I woke up super early without knowing what happened yet and something inside me just wasn't sitting right. I had almost an intuition that something horrible happened and it was only a matter of time until I would find out what exactly it was. Watching my dad come in to tell me the news was probably the most heartbreaking piece. Watching your parents lose a child is even more heartbreaking. I learned so much after losing my sister. Some of those things are eye opening, sad, and somewhat bittersweet. I want to share these things because I know that I am not the only one who felt lost after they lost a sibling.
There's nothing like the loss of a sibling.
I tried to compare my sister's death to a lot of other things and it just wasn't comparable. I can't explain the feeling. If I had to pick one word to describe the situation as a whole it would have to be, empty. I remember days after she had passed I just felt so clear and empty about life. I kept telling myself "I've never seen the world so clear." Everything was just put into exact perspective. There was this feeling of emptiness but there was also this feeling of seeing the world in a different light.
There's no love like family love.
When you are grieving after a loss, it is definitely hard to keep your head up and have some sort of positive outlook on the situation. It is important to surround yourself with family because they are grieving just like you are and they understand the depth of pain that you're feeling. They will be the ones that understand you most!
It's totally OK to show emotions.
For my exact situation I really tried hard to be brave for my parents and other family members especially for my older sister. It's very hard to not want to break down at some point and as much as you want to show a brave face, you should always validate your feelings and allow yourself to feel all of those feelings because it's a part of the grieving process. As much as I wanted to be there for my family I also had to be there for myself.
Appreciate all the small things in life!
I think sometimes in life we forget to appreciate all that life has to offer and all that we are given. During the loss of my sister, I really just appreciated all the small things in my life. It just really put things into perspective for me!
Remembering all the good memories really does make light!
It's definitely easier said than done, but remembering all the good times you had with that person who passed really does bring you closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. In my experience I watched my sister go through some really rough times towards the end of her time here with us and I just didn't want to remember her in that light. I wanted to remember her vibrant smile and her contagious laugh! Most of all I just wanted to remember her as the strong and amazing person she was!
I hope this helped somebody out there who lost a sibling at a young age or for someone who is just grieving in general. I know that it is definitely one of the hardest things that humans have to process through however I truly do believe that when someone passes on, it teaches us some sort of lesson and brings us some sort of light.
