“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

If you live long enough, at one point or another, you will experience the death of a loved one. Whether it be another human whom a strong bond was built with or a beloved pet; death touches each of us. Despite this, the topic of death and dying is commonly avoided in our culture. Truthfully though, this topic has brought about some interesting and transforming conversations in my life. As a life skills coach and an occasional host on the Grief Dreams Podcast, I continuously hear from the bereaved about their grief journey after the loss of their loved one. When I hear their stories I wonder how humanity became
so brave and so strong. They have mustered the strength to move forward in life despite some very cruel encounters with death and dying. It is so inspirational to hear what the bereaved have learned (what grief revealed) about themselves and how they have grown through their suffering. I have heard the bereaved talk about growth in many different areas. The bereaved may start valuing those around them more, start to develop new skills, gain a greater realization on how strong they truly are, develop a deeper faith, make changes in what really matters most to them, and it goes on and on.