Losing someone close to you is never easy. This is especially true when that person has been around your whole life. But just because they're no longer around physically, it doesn't mean that they're gone completely.
Whether on purpose or by accident, we all find ways to keep these people in our lives. For example, when this one woman who had recently lost her dad decided to go thrift shopping to help her deal with grief, she found not only the exact purse she was looking for but also a note hidden inside of it, which could've very well been written by her late pops. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: TikTok
Losing loved ones is always tremendously difficult, but one way or another, they will always be right there with us
Image credits: abrielleclausing
A woman who was grieving her dad decided to go thrift shopping with her sister since that was something that he loved to do
It was January 13th, 2021, when Abrielle Clausing and her sister lost their dad to COVID. The days were grim and filled with grief, and the woman was being slowly consumed by all of it.
But the late man was the complete opposite of that. Mr. Clausing always had a positive outlook on life, and as Abrielle told People.com, "He was such a light in everyone's lives and treated everyone like a friend."
Since the man grew up in a poor family, "Thrifting and finding good deals made him happy," which is something that he passed on to his daughters. "My sister and I loved thrifting with him and always showed him our cool finds," continued the woman.
"I told her I wanted to find a vintage Fossil brand purse," Arielle wrote on her TikTok post, sharing that she came across exactly what she was looking for. But to her surprise, there was more.
Image credits: abrielleclausing
She came across the exact purse that she was looking for and was even more surprised to find a heartwarming note inside it
Inside, the woman found a note, which read, "When you read this, you will be far from me in miles, but not in my heart. I'm here. I love you."
"I knew it was from him. I always check the inside of the bag before I buy it to make sure it's in good condition. When I stuck my hand in it, I felt the piece of paper, and when I took it out and found the note, I read it out loud to my sister," shared Arielle.
Image credits: abrielleclausing
The beautiful yet nameless note seemed as if it was purposefully left behind for her to find, which made the woman realize that her dad was still with her
And thus, it turned out that a simple tradition that the girls had with their dad was a lot more than just hunting for good deals. "When I saw the note, it just confirmed that he was with us," the woman summarized. "He's always with us."
The commenters were very touched by the wholesomeness of this story. While some were amazed by how well everything lined up for the woman, others felt inclined to share their own stories about similar happenings, extending this beautiful story even further.
Image credits: Burst (not the actual photo)
The grieving process is unpleasant, but it is the only way to healing, and it pays to remember that the people we lost will always be with us in our hearts and our minds
Grief comes in various shapes and forms, and in most cases, encountering it at least at some point in your life is quite inevitable. But despite being highly unpleasant, this process is actually very important.
As per Phillips Funeral Home's article, grief is essentially our emotional response to loss. It involves a lot of pain, confusion, and disorientation, which often lead to sadness, anger, fear, and even relief, all due to having to abruptly let go of something or someone deeply familiar and almost inseparably intertwined with your life not so long ago.
However, even though, especially in the beginning, it can make you feel like you're lying in a cold, muddy puddle, grieving is actually a process of healing that allows us to process our loss and find a way to adapt to our new reality. Understanding this helps you give yourself permission to feel and live through all those emotions, which is what eventually leads us to actually get better.
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Since every person and all of their connections are unique, dealing with and getting over grief is a deeply personal journey. But while there is no predetermined path to make it a walk in a park, there are things that can help you make your journey a little easier.
According to The Recovery Village, acknowledging your feelings is crucial, but so is continuing to take care of your body and mind, too. Things like eating a healthy diet and moving can help in more ways than the apparent ones.
At the same time, it's essential to understand that grief is unpredictable. You have to be patient with yourself and not set any expectations or timeframes for dealing with this process. And if, at any moment, it gets too difficult, be sure to seek out your family, friends, trained professionals, or other people dealing with loss who can all help you in different ways.
Image credits: Tolga Ahmetler (not the actual photo)
And yet, while accepting the new reality seems like a rational endpoint for this process, grief is something that may never fully leave us. And that's okay because there can be happiness in sadness, too.
Just like the sisters in our story did, take time to remember and celebrate the life of the person you lost. Even if they're no longer standing beside you, it doesn't mean that they will stop impacting your life. By being a part of it for as long as they were, they left a mark in your life that will forever affect you and how you approach the world, and in that sense, that person will always be with you wherever you go.
What did you think about this story? Has anything similar ever happened to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The wholesomeness of the story took over the commenters and inspired them to share similar incidents of their own
