coping mechanisms

I've delayed writing. Perhaps pushed away thinking. Sealing any possible thought to avoid inevitable sadness. Man we miss this girl.

What are you suppose to do with the feelings of loss? Push them aside? Ignore them? Meet them eye to eye? Let them break you down a little and then build yourself back up again so that strength may prevail?

I've grappled with the use of my feelings of loss and the other day, it struck me...

Feelings of loss don't necessarily need to elicit negative reaction. For me, I think anyway, it's been somewhat opposite and I'm trying to see the positive and hold onto it as tightly as I can. Not to mention, if I didn't take the positive route I wouldn't be able to live with myself and I know my compadre Alexis would be pissed. If she knew we were just commiserating and sad and helpless, she would be mad and we would not do justice to her or her legacy. So instead, empowerment is the word that comes to mind. Realizing and actualizing that this is absolutely a loss, but also a gain where some form of expression of empowerment is present in our day (man that's taken a year to say--it's true what they say, these things take a while to swallow)...is this a selfish construct or simply, a coping mechanism?

I'm going to say empowerment is a good coping mechanism.

From grief to empowerment, one spectrum to the next. It's what we need to do. At least for me.