Closing Dark Chapters with Gratitude Leads us to a Brighter Future

We all go through difficult times and one of the hardest times that we go through is the death of a loved one. When we watch our nearest and dearest fade way we are in a moment of crisis and are 100% focused on their wellbeing in those final moments. In these delicate moments we often forget about the social care professionals who tirelessly make death as comfortable and easy as possible.

We then go through the grieving process until we reach the point where we can take a step back from that traumatic experience and view it more objectively. Only then are we in a position to go back and thank those very serving people who made Mum's death as good as it's possible for death to be.

It's never too late to say thank you. Whenever we say thank you, that gratitude is always much appreciated. It makes the recipient of thanks feel valued and makes their valuable contribution at the end of someone's life all worthwhile. So, it's always a good idea to make a note of those wonderful people's names so we know who to thank when the time comes.

Saying thank you to these unsung heroes often gives us a sense of closure; studies have shown that people who practise gratitude reach closure sooner and are able to move on more quickly. It ends a dark episode and helps us turn the page and move onto a brighter and more positive new chapter of our lives.

Closing a dark chapter with gratitude is good for our mental and emotional health. It transforms those negative thought patterns into more positive ones. We learn that everything is connected and by thanking people we can turn the negative energy into the starting a more positive cycle. It gives us a chance to reset and start afresh.

Gratitude can't bring our loved ones back, but it will make us realise that we can take control of the situation and make the future brighter and more positive.

In his book 'Gratitude Works' Robert Emmons said:

Not only will a grateful attitude help—it is essential. In fact, it is precisely under crisis conditions when we have the most to gain by a grateful perspective on life. In the face of demoralisation, gratitude has the power to energise. In the face of brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope. In other words, gratitude can help us cope with hard times.

If we live gratefully or practise 'deep gratitude' we will build up our resilience so that we will be prepared for those dark times when they occur.

Let's build up that gratitude in our resilience bank so that we are ready for times of crisis and let's use gratitude in our present times of need to help close those dark chapters and help us to move on and turn the page onto brighter days.