9/11 Could be tough
The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up in a few days. We are going to be bombarded with news stories, television specials and commercials reminding us of that tragic day. We will see stories about those that perished, hear from those that survived and those that are still grieving their loss. Everyone wants to remember this day, we want to pay tribute to those that are gone and those who are suffering because of what they witnessed. We want to hear their stories but they are really hard tough for those of us that are also grieving. This my friends may be a tough few days for us.
It has already started for me. I have been reduced to tears more than once this week from a commercial tease about an upcoming show. There is something about another person’s grief that can really hit me hard. It doesn’t happen every time and I have tried to figure out what is triggering me to continue to watch a show that I already know is going to be hard. Why do I put myself through it knowing I am going to be reduced to a blubbering puddle of tears?
Is it the tragic deaths that I am draw to since Mike’s was so sudden? Do I feel a kind of kinship with these people? Partially, but I also feel a connection with others suffering when it was not a tragic death. (yes I am an empath but I recognize it and know how to put it aside when required) Am I needing relive the pain and sorrow that comes from grief so I don’t feel that I have forgotten what a loss like that can do? Am I honoring his memory in this way by suffering along with others? I don’t know the answers, but I know there are days that I simply need to have a “good cry”, I need to feel the sorrow. I think that’s an on going part of the healing process.
It has been 5 years since Mike died and I still put myself in situations from time to time that are going to make me sad and make me leak tears. I know I am doing it at the time, but I do it anyway (Gray’s Anatomy does it every time!). I don’t know why, but then does it really matter? I read that tears and way of cleansing the soul to make way for love and healing. I like that sentiment, it’s as good an excuse as any to simply cry when I want to.
When we are surrounded by stories of tragedy it’s almost impossible to not feel that energy. The sorrow that comes with the anniversary of 9/11 can be felt by simply seeing the date on the calendar. I haven’t decided how many of these shows and news reports I am going to be able to watch, I never know until the minute it happens. It may be a weekend for a good cry or I may be able to watch some of the coverage without being reduced to a puddle, but not likely!
You do what you think is best to honor the people affected that day. Give yourself permission to cry all day if that’s what you need to do. Give yourself permission to say a silent prayer for them and shut the world out if that is what works for you. Either way, know the energy surrounding this event will likely make you feel a more heighten sense of unease and perhaps sorrow. Recognize it and do with it what you need to get through.
If it all gets too heavy, I suggest you ground yourself. If possible, take your shoes off and walk in the grass. Imagine pulling the positive green energy from the earth through your feet and let it run through your body and radiate from you. Imagine all the negative energy in you gathering in your core in a ball and pushing it down through your feet into the earth to dissipate and move away. If you don’t have green space you can imagine you are standing in grass and it will have some effect but real grass is definitely the most effective. Drinking lots of water helps with the anxiety you may feel and a salt bath is a great way to release negativity from your body and soul.
No matter how you chose to “celebrate” the anniversary of 9/11, please be kind to yourself. Peace, love and joy to you all and all those that were/are reliving that day.
