Losing a loved one can be devastating. Even knowing the person is in a better place may not help you cope with the pain and suffering.

When I lost my mother to cancer, she was 47 and I was 14. Adolescence is challenging enough without adding the loss of a parent. I had to find a way to deal with all the emotions running through my head.

Since I already enjoyed writing, I began writing poems and stories about loss, about life, and about the world around me. There is no right or wrong way to approach writing through grief and loss. There are several strategies to try. Research has proven grief journaling and writing can be therapeutic.

While nothing ever came of those thoughts, stories, and poems I wrote to help me cope with my loss, the writing definitely made a difference. Have you ever tried grief journaling or writing a letter to a loved one you have lost? Did you find it helpful?

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ~ Psalm 34:18

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ~ Psalm 147:3

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. ~ Matthew 5:4