When It Comes to Grief, There Are No Rules

I was going through some old photos when I came across this one of my Dad...

It was taken in February 1988, at Blue Lagoon, in Portland, Jamaica. I know this because it was scribbled on the back of the photo. 

And it made me realize something about grief. There are no rules when it comes to mourning the loss of someone. 

Last November, on the first anniversary of my Dad's passing, I took the day off. I wanted to be home, away from work, so that I could deal with my emotions. Funny thing is, I was totally fine that day. I didn't cry, and I wasn't sad.

But sometimes, when I least expect it, I can get really emotional about losing my Dad. 

There are no rules when it comes to grief. 

There are good days. There are bad days. Happy ones. Sad ones. And really gloomy ones. Sometimes, I find that grief can be triggered by anything.  A memory, a song, a photograph, a commercial, a movie, someone who reminds me of him...anything. 

You don't know when grief will hit, and you don't know how hard its punch will be.  

But on this day, there were no tears. My only thoughts were...my Dad was a handsome man! He was funny, and he was the life of the party. I also had a longing to visit Jamaica, the beach and all the other places I haven't been, like Blue Lagoon. 

There are simply no rules when it comes to grief.