Hi Rick
I was so sad to hear of your loss of your dear son and friend. May I be bold and say I really think you sound like you need to speak to someone professional about what you are going through. Reaching out for help is so hard, but sometimes we need others to help us get through when we can't see a way forward. I would like to say the following things to you and I hope they help in some way.
I am certain that your son would not want for you to continue to hurt as badly as you do now. It is VERY early days for you in your grief, but try 'compartmentalising' your life a little. That is, make time to grieve, but try to give yourself time limits on how much you sit and think about your loss, then pick yourself up, if only for a few hours and make the conscious decision to go back to life for a while - then you can come back to your grief again later. gradually, the time you spend grieving will become less and the time you spend back in life will increase. Beleive that this is what your son would want for you.
Your son was sent to you for a reason. I am certain that you and the others around him learned something from his life and from his passing. Sometimes, we need to decide not to question why we are given these challenges, but simply accept that it is something we were chosen for.
Grief is like a fingerprint - everyone feels and expresses it differently. Don't beat yourself up for the way you are feeling
Grief is more than simply a series of stages to go through. It may be something that continues to touch you for your whole life - but that doesn't mean that you will be this sad for your whole life. You will come to accept what has happened in time. You don't have to 'get over it' though. Your aim should be to find a way to live with what has happened, not to 'get over it' . Cherish your memories of your son and the place he will always hold in your heart
You can make choices about how you deal with your loss. Talking, crying, sharing memories, writing a journal, reading, music, exercise, praying and distracting yourself all help some people. Find out what works for you and make time to do it.
Things WILL get better - grieving is very hard work. It takes a lot of courage and patience. There are good days and bad days. take heart - you WILL get through this.
Kate
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