The ninth stage of grief is hope. This is when every now and again you get a little glimpse of hope in one experience or another. The cloud of grief starts to break up and light comes through.

Grief can last for a few weeks to many months to years. No two people are the same and we don’t know how long grief is going to last and no two losses are identical. Some may not express their feelings and don’t seem to need to. Some struggle with the various stages within themselves and don’t want others to help them with their grief. On the other hand there are some who need to express their emotions. They need the affection and warm encouragement of those around them. This can help them find that other experiences in life can be meaningful again.

The final stage in grief is affirming reality. This doesn’t mean that you become your old self again because when we go through a significant loss we come out of it as a difference person. Some are strong people than they were before . Some are healthier in spirit and some never really work through their grief and months or years later are still fighting the battles within your self. However, those who have grieved deeply come out to realize that everything has not been take from them although life will never be the same again. This is when many realize and sense that there is much in life that can be affirmed and to affirm something is to say that it is good.

Many of us struggle to affirm reality and we find that we don’t need to be afraid of the real world. You can live in it again. You can love it again. The dark clouds break up and the rays of sun shine come through and hope becomes a part of our outlook in life.