A substantial number of people have experienced some form of familial tragedy or upheaval, often resulting in an emotional or physical injury, loss of income, or family members quitting their jobs to take care of the injured one. Although it may be tempting to wish that the entire situation was over and done with and never repeat — it’s been done before — a more realistic perspective is necessary.
The reality is that a large number of families go through tough times and don’t recover immediately. Sometimes, there are things that they need to take care of, as individuals or as a family, before they can move on. Sometimes, the issues remain with them for the rest of their lives. But just because these issues remain doesn’t mean that those involved should stop living life; at least not all of it. A balance must be maintained between the need to heal and the responsibilities to fulfill outside of one’s immediate welfare.
Repercussions
1. Relatives and friends who are deeply involved in the situation may feel helpless and hopeless. Those people need to be reminded that they can still support their loved ones by simply continuing with their lives, but also by checking in regularly with them so they know they’re not alone. After all, they’re down when others are just as much up as well.
2. There is a tendency for those directly involved in the situation to become entrenched in themselves and their internal struggles for healing or retribution. They may become isolated from their loved ones who are still functioning normally. As with the previous point, there is an opportunity for them to step outside of the situation and reconnect with those who care about them, both externally and internally.
3. Family members may be reluctant to broach issues involving financial burdens that they and others may be feeling as a result of the difficulty in transition through life. It’s best to talk about those issues and develop ways of addressing them in a manner that doesn’t create further problems for their families.
Conclusion
The family can recover from almost any type of tragedy, but the healing process takes time and the right outlook on life. It’s important for the people involved to take care of themselves to the best of their ability and continue living life, making new friends, and maintaining old ones. The gift of life cannot be taken away from them by any tragedy; they should be encouraged to enjoy it as much as possible because it is all we have.
