Good Grief, Charlie Brown, and the wisdom king: Navigating the enduring waves of grief

Facing the Anniversary: Unexpected Emotions and Waves of Reflection

I won't sugarcoat it: this week has been tough. As many of you on LinkedIn and Twitter saw, it marked the ninth anniversary of losing my mom. Facing these days is always a challenge, to say the least.

Grief often arrives unexpectedly. Sometimes it sneaks in the day before, lingers for days after, or flexes its influence subtly. This year felt different. I didn't even realize it was February 12th until the afternoon. Maybe that's why the initial impact wasn't as hard.

Yet, when I began reflecting and writing about it, a wave of emotion washed over me. It felt amazing to finally honor my mom, something I haven't been able to do consistently over the past nine years.

Not because she doesn't deserve it. Anyone who met her knows the incredible woman she was. I believe anyone who knows me can sense the influence of the people who raised me, a reflection of her values and character.

Grief's Unexpected Trajectory: From Milestones to Missing Presence

The truth is, the past nine years have been tough. I won't rehash my earlier post (you can find it here if you'd like to read it). But I do want to delve deeper into grief's long and enduring influence.

Grief is not linear; it doesn't conform to our wishes or timelines. It's a constant companion, shaping our emotions and experiences in unexpected ways.

The first few years, grief was heaviest around holidays and birthdays. Then, for the next five, it intensified at life's new milestones. Creating memories without her presence was incredibly difficult, both for me and her.

Grief often rears its head when I consider all my children will miss: having their grandmother as a tangible part of their lives and memories.

Life's Fleeting Nature: Unexpected Wisdom from Loss

Looking back, we often project expectations based on our own experiences. I assumed my mom would live a long life, just like her parents who reached 93 and 100 years old. Sadly, life had other plans.

Despite the pain, it would be dishonest to say I haven't grown from this experience. Losing a parent at a young age is something I wouldn't wish on anyone, but it did bring unexpected wisdom.

I gained a profound understanding of life's fleeting nature and the preciousness of each moment. This led to a deep sense of honor and gratitude for being alive, even if it took years to fully appreciate it.

Cherishing the Present: Every Moment a Gift

Most importantly, I learned to cherish the present and not take anything for granted. Every day, I get to hold my children, express my love to my wife, open my eyes to the sky, and feel the breeze on my face. These are all gifts.

Following Intuition: Sharing a Personal Story for Hope

This wasn't the planned topic for this week. In fact, I had two other drafts ready. But, while editing, I realized I still had something important to share.

So, here I am, following my intuition and hoping to offer a bit of light with this personal story.

Until next week,

This is Ground Control.

Patrick

P.S. I appreciate your time and don't want to flood your inbox. However, I've recently started some in-depth content on LinkedIn about doing hard things and launching an MVP.

If this interests you, here are the links: Doing Hard Stuff & Accelerating an MVP.