5 Stages of Grief
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Denial
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Bargaining
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Anger
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Depression
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Acceptance
Who knew? Not me. That is one reason I have not grieved for more than twenty years.
As a grief educator, I approach the topic because I believe if I didn’t know, others also do not.
Suppose you know the stages of grief and how they work; consider you are wrong.
Because of its uniqueness, psychologists and counselors discount and criticize the stages of grief outlined in Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s book On Death and Dying.
They claim grief is not linear and cannot be neatly contained in 5 neatly packed stages.
Well then, if grief is not linear, what does it look like?
It looks like a long and winding road.
Leading us to Door County, Wisconsin, and the tip of the Green Bay Peninsula is Gills Rock, known for Highway 42 (Jensen Highway), which is one of the curviest roads in the United States.
The five stages of Grief moved me forward. They were the basics I needed to know to grow. I will always guide grievers through those stages because if I did not know, I believe others did not, as well.
Never-ending.
I used to think it was a Road to Nowhere, but I had to consider I was wrong. Behind grief’s door, I found purpose, and I believe yours does, too.
There is no wrong way to grieve.
The only way through grief is through grief
Each breath is the necessity of grief.
The purpose is to help others see what your grief looks like.
I understand psychologists’ and counselors’ concerns; however, knowing the five stages is a place to begin. I am forever thankful for Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ and the stages.
© Uniquely His – Nancy Seman