Anonymous wrote:I'm missing my parents so much today! They've been gone 3 and 9 years respectively. I spent the weekend at a family reunion and it was wonderful.to be amongst those who loved and cherished my parents. Today I'm back to life as usual but feeling so empty! It's almost like I'm reliving the grief process. Has anyone else been through this? What helped you?

I play with my mother's jewelry. I hug my son, who carries all of the very best of my father within him.

op here, these responses are all very helpful. What I have done at times is to imagine that we will be reunited some day. If there is such a thing as heaven that is. i sometimes feel their presence and will talk to them, but of course dont know if they are really there. it comforts me in any case. i dont have a grave to visit (one of my siblings has their ashes), but maybe it would help if i did.

I rarely miss my mother, as she's been gone for over 20 years. My brother passed in 2002 and my dad in 2013. My boyfriend is remarkably like them both and sometimes I'll just egg him on until he does the things that remind me of the one I miss.

I miss my father spontaneously almost every day. There's nothing that really triggers it. When that happens I just take a minute to process the memory and my feelings and carry on.

I try to do the things my mom liked: drinking root beer, buying the odd lottery ticket, getting out and taking my son places, choral music etc.

Some people do better by not reliving difficult experiences, while others do better when they talk about them. You probably know best which group you fall into.

Time heals pain.