“One of the hardest things for me after my dad died was learning that every feeling I had was okay to feel. It’s okay to feel unbelievably sad or not to feel sad at all, just numb and empty. It’s okay to be angry at the person who died, even if you know it wasn’t their fault. It’s okay to feel happy even if you feel like it’s wrong because you’re grieving.
“I used to write letters to my dad: if I was angry I would burn them or tear them up, if I was sad and missing him I would keep them in my memory box or send them up on a balloon. This helped me understand what I felt like, and helped me manage my grief.
“My advice would be to talk to someone, whatever feelings you have, no matter how scary or stupid you think they are, talk to someone you trust. You can even use the online messaging service run by Winston’s Wish, or Childline, if you don’t want to talk to someone you know. And it will get easier as time goes on, things will not always seem as dark as they are now.”
~ Emily