Family, Gospel Topics, Lifestyle, Parenting, Relationships

When All Your Tears Have Fallen

When all your tears have fallen,

And your eyes are done with crying,

It seems like you must move on from this heartache.

You continue on in life, get back into routine,

And yet, somehow, something just doesn’t feel right.

Did I grieve too long, or not long enough?

Did I bottle up my emotions too tight?

Did I think I was stronger or braver than I am?

What’s stopping me from picking up and moving on?

The problem, you see, is all doesn’t return to normal again.

Your life has been altered, forever changed.

What used to be, doesn’t work anymore,

You have to completely start again.

Starting again is a challenge. Anything new is hard.

But little by little,you start your new path, and you find a new way in this life.

Never again, will you be the same, forever changed is your heart.

You can’t pick up the pieces of a broken heart, you have to move on with a fresh start.

Some days will be easier than others, some days will be very hard.

Time doesn’t “heal all wounds,” time creates a new path to move from.

You can’t forget the loss you feel, it’s not what’s meant to be.

Love creeps in when we need it. And through prayer and love, God helps us heal.

It’s ok if you still need to cry, it’s ok if you are sad and confused at times.

Just know your loss is because you loved.

And love will never be the same for you, because you were blessed with a life of love.

You experienced loss from love.

Your heart will always save a piece of that love you lost, and you will be forever changed.

Changed in a way so that you can help others, and lift them from their losses.

Changed in a way so that you can show true empathy to those around you.

Changed in a way to know that life truly is too precious and too short, to hold grudges and get upset.

Forever changed somehow for the better, though your emotions feel raw,

What was meant to be, blessed your life.

And now you yourself, are free to bless others.

Yes, even when all your tears have fallen, you won’t forget how the grief felt,

You’ll spread love and peace around you, and realize, that life is meant to be lived. So that you can spread love and goodness to others.

-Christy Austin

3/6/2022

Family, Gospel Topics, Lifestyle, Relationships

When The Light Came/ A Poem Written For A Dear Friend That Passed Away

There’s something about November that is somber for me.

November 10 of 2018 I received a call…a call that was sad and heartbreaking.

My dear friend that I’d been close to since the age of thirteen…had passed away, he was young, he was only 33.

I think of my friend often and miss him. However I have faith and believe he is in a better place.

Nonetheless… this poem was part of my grieving process.

I wanted to share it with you. Perhaps it can help you through the grieving process as well.

Disclosure: this blog contains affiliate links. This means that I get commission from any link you click on…but of course it’s at no cost to you!

When the light came

When the light came, I was not scared

When the light came, I moved forward.

I saw the beauty, peace, and happiness that

awaited me there, and when the light came I went.

When the light came, I knew my time was finished here on this earth.

My past family and loved ones surrounded me, and joy encompassed my soul.

When the light came I knew that I would now be the guardian angel.

To protect my loved ones and family, and to be with them in their hearts.

When the light came I was fulfilled and I knew my life was complete.

For now, you see, the light set me free, and I know that is what was meant for me.

So do not mourn or feel heartache and sorrow, for my spirit lives on and on.

My light will now shine for you, and one day too, the light will set you free,

and when the light comes you’ll find me!

Written by: Christy Nielson Austin

November 10th, 2018

In memory of my loving and dearest friend Troy Dean Osmond

Uncategorized

What Helped Me Through the Grieving Process…

In November of 2018, I lost one of my dear friends.

I had been friends with my friend, I will call him, Roy, since the 8th grade.

There was never a romantic relationship, Roy was just always there for me in so many ways.

Roy knew me so well. He knew if I was happy or if he needed to cheer me up, and he always did!

Roy was such a loyal friend. Roy had his own challenges that he talked with me about, and that he was constantly working on. I appreciated that he trusted me as a friend to listen to him and to be there for him as much as I could.

When I got married and had my first two children, he was my biggest cheerleader, always telling me how “proud,” he was of me.

I looked forward to our monthly chats and loved that we could always “pick up where we left off.”

And then,

I got a phone call.

I’ll never forget, I was at a Christmas craft fair, (which Christmas was Roy’s favorite holiday by the way),

And my other friend called to tell me, that Roy had died from some health issues.

woman looking at sunset
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The health issues came quite unexpectedly, I knew Roy had health issues but in no way thought it would take his life.

My heart sunk.

I had two little kids at this craft fair with me and I remember looking around the room feeling like the world was spinning.

I got my kids and I to the car, and drove home, in tears and in shock and so confused.

Is anyone prepared for death of a loved one?

Never.

And this news was quite unbearable for me.

Naturally, I went through all the stages of the grieving process: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, and acceptance.

When I was in the “anger” stage I remember being so mad at myself for not calling him one more time. I wanted just one more conversation with him and that was it.

grayscale photography of crying woman
Photo by Kat Jayne on Pexels.com

Well- we all have something we turn to when it comes to grieving, mine has always been writing.

So I wrote this poem one night when I couldn’t sleep, when I was still so sad and upset about the loss of my dear friend Roy.

Perhaps it will bring you peace in your grieving struggles.

I will add, just last night while listening to a song, I randomly burst into tears because it reminded me of my sweet friend Roy.

Grieving never quite stops with our loved ones.

I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it has helped me find peace with knowing I will see my dear friend again one day.

I hope all that struggle with grief will find peace. Even more, I hope you find something that can help you through your grieving. Perhaps it’s writing, or running, or organizing, the list goes on but I hope you can find that something that can help you to work through the emotional pain of grief.

And with that, I will leave you with this poem:

When the light Came

When the light came, I was not scared

When the light came, I moved forward.

I saw the beauty, peace, and happiness that

awaited me there, and when the light came I went.

When the light came, I knew my time was finished here on this earth. 

My past family and loved ones surrounded me, and joy encompassed my soul. 

When the light came I knew that I would now be the guardian angel. 

To protect my loved ones and family, and to be with them in their hearts. 

When the light came I was fulfilled and I knew my life was complete.

For now, you see, the light set me free, and I know that is what was meant for me.

So do not mourn or feel heartache and sorrow, for my spirit lives on and on.

My light will now shine for you, and one day too, the light will set you free,

and when the light comes you’ll find me!

Written by: Christy Nielson Austin

November 10th, 2018

In memory of my dearest friend