What are some of the factors that affect a persons coping skills in dealing with grief?
Obviously, being a believer, a follower of Christ, makes a great difference. I was comforted by a certain knowledge that Cynthia passed immediately from an imperfect world to a perfect one, and that I would one day join her. Unfortunately, like many people, I initially blamed God for my loss, so we weren’t on the best of terms for a while. But when I began to seek His face once more, I found Him right where I’d left Him. Beyond that, the support of others helps. I found a support group where I could open up and share my emotions with others who’d walked the same road. It’s next to impossible to share those feelings with your family, even your close friends, because you don’t want them to realize you’re flawed. In a support group, everyone there can identify with your emotions: anger, pain, bewilderment, even depression—because they’ve been there themselves. When you had a passing thought that you needed to save your wife’s clothing in case she returned, you experienced classic denial.
