Almost everyone at one time or another experiences tragedies in their lives. It can be in the form of a loss of a job, the loss of loved ones, or perhaps the diagnosis of a serious disease. It doesn't matter whether these life events are expected or unexpected, the impact they have is substantial. And while at the time the tragedy can seem insurmountable, we often come out on the other end with a sense of purpose and strength that we lacked before. We have the ability to turn a frightening life event into something we can learn from and perhaps even help others.
All of us unfortunately deal with some type of difficult events throughout our lives. However, how we react when these happens can seriously help or in some cases, hurt us more. It is important that we don't deny the importance the event or downplay it either to ourselves or others. We must face it and be a part of it - suppressing our feelings and reactions just isn't healthy. Don't act like nothing happened or pretend that you're fine - doing so won't help you process things or move forward in a healthy way.
As we get older we often find that personal growth is often borne from tragedy. We find we can learn from certain events, even if we don't understand how at the time. These events can teach us patience, perseverance, kindness, and empathy. We can take what happens to ourselves and our loves ones turn them into positive things that have the ability to help others.
There are certain events that have the ability to lead to the expansions of our hearts and our minds. The lessons gained from a loss can make us stronger. Those lessons can turn us into a better parent, child, friend, or spouse. The knowledge that is often found in the aftermath of these tragedies can change the direction of our lives and lead us onto paths we never expected. And while these events often shake us to the core, we realize we are stronger than we ever believed.