We often associate grief with pain, sadness, and fear. Yet if we take time to think about it, grief is love. Grief is a daily reminder of the person we lost, the memories we created, and the love we shared. 
I am often asked by those who have been touched by suicide, “When will this pain end?” I always hesitate to answer the question, because I do not necessarily believe an answer exists. The pain doesn’t ever really end; it just becomes tolerable and less present in daily life. It has been four years since I lost my father and the void in my heart still exists. Do I cry everyday? No. Do I wake up thinking about the loss of my father? No. But, the pain is still there. And I am not sure I want it to ever leave. It reminds me of the time I spent with him. I believe the pain becomes more tolerable when we begin to look at it differently. When we begin to embrace the pain, and accept that we can have peace and still feel the pain. Embrace the pain and remember that it is a reminder of the love you have for the person you lost.
This is the wisest thing I’ve read so far. I just hit the 5 months mark, my daughter (15) released her pain on 9/14/15. Although my entire being feels the most incredible pain I’ve ever imagined, every day, I learn and understand her decision. Nobody will ever know what pain and suffering or anything else that is going on in our loved ones mind, I just know that my baby will not suffer the noise in her head that made her so sad.
Thanks for allowing me to share and confirming my feelings on certain days that I’m happy.
Thank you for your blog. My stepdaughter also wrote a blogpost about the suicide of our youngest son Matthew. https://shanaleewilkinson.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/sincerely-your-sister/
I read it when I need to cry, feel, remember.