The Healing Journey

August 1, 2023

“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sweet.”
— Carole King

Many of us, especially those of us in troubled relationships have a tendency to lead people to believe everything is fine, nothing could be better, and wouldn’t this world be a better place if everyone had a relationship like ours?

The truth is all relationships have their share of good and bad, joy and heartbreak. Some have more joy than others, but most have more heartbreak than joy if you consider the divorce rate in America.

How many times have you seen a couple that you thought had “a marriage made in heaven” … until you heard about their divorce. Then, your first thought was “How could this have happened? I thought they had a love that would last forever.”

If your spouse or your partner has died, it’s important, to be honest about your relationship and not create an imaginary reality. Concealing the truth or distorting the truth will hamper your healing. It’s also important to remember that, as the Carole King song says, “You’ve got to take the bitter with the sweet.”

Remember the good. Remember the bad. Don’t feel guilty if your relationship wasn’t perfect. Few things in life are perfect.

For some, the experience of grief is so intense and so devastating, the wound never heals. Many go on with their lives, but their lives are never the same. However, it’s never too late to start the healing journey by seeking help in a bereavement group.

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Be honest with yourself about your relationship when someone you know has died.