10 ways to let go (in order of effectiveness)

10: get drunk. I would actually like to list this as 15. You are not really dealing with any of the emotions you have in fact you are ignoring them. Then the following day you still can’t deal with your emotions because you have to deal with a hangover. Special thanks to my boss for not firing me when I called in hung over. And finally if the loved one, as in my case, was a deeply religious man when you stop and think about it really doesn’t honor them (later blog topic).
9: Ignore it. Pretend it never happened a little classier than 10 but just as ineffective.
8: Become apathetic. Things are starting to move in the right direction. Acknowledging the death, but hardening yourself. Sure he/she died but you know you don’t care . . . insert strange reasoning here.
7: Bottle it up. Acknowledge the death and your pain, but refuse to share it or even discuss it with those who care.
6: Joke about it. Later this can be a good sign, but early on it’s just another way of ignoring it. The griever is just trying to cover pain with humor. You are just lying to yourself.
5: Speak to friends. Its best to speak to those who also knew the departed, but any friend will do. Accept the loss, don’t side step pain. Hugs are great.
4: Go for a drive. I don’t know what it is about driving that helps you think, but it does. I recommend driving at night to no particular destination.
3: Spend time with the Lord. Tell him exactly how you feel, even if you are bitter about the death. I promise he already knows how you feel. Telling Him often helps YOU realize how YOU feel.
2: CRY. It’s okay! Just stop and let things settle and don’t fight it.
1: Go to the funeral. There is nothing quite as healing as celebrating the life of a loved one with other people who feel the same way you do. If you are really lucky you’ll have the opportunity to road trip 700 miles with a buddy who also knew and loved the deceased; telling stories about him/her and singing as loud as you can. Cry with and hug the family. Look at you loved one one last time and smile if you can.