“From every wound there is a scar. And every scar tells a story. A story that says: “I have survived.” (Brother Craig Scott)

“Time heals all wounds.” If you’re a mourner, you’ve no doubt heard this cliché more than once. As a grieving parent, I can attest to the fact that some wounds never fully heal. They leave a scar, a forever reminder of the pain once experienced. But during the time the scar forms, we are given many opportunities to avoid prolonged suffering.

After the death of our son at the age of 21, my husband and I felt raw and undeniable grief. Like others, we chose to grieve because it seemed to place some value on the incredible pain of grief we felt. Pain and suffering cannot be hidden, and the pain that comes from grief sometimes hurts much more and for longer than expected.

It’s easy to get sucked into one’s grievance, and even get caught up in the aftermath of the event that caused us pain. We are humans. We want others to know that we suffer. And sometimes we are determined not to “let go.” We obsess over the unfairness of life and lure others into our misery. Such negative energy consumes us and weakens us physically, mentally and spiritually, but we choose it anyway. Soon friends and family drift away because our state of confusion becomes overwhelming to them. They feel powerless to comfort us. They admit that no matter what they do, we are unreachable. They propose that “time” can heal the wounds that fester us.

I personally believe that time does not heal all wounds. Time just passes by us. The time becomes one year, five years, ten years and more. Time passes and our lives continue day after day. Pain quickly turns to suffering when we allow our loss to rule our lives. Suffering is prolonged pain that we choose instead to heal and reinvest in life. We forget about the measurement of time.

However, what time does give us is the distance from the initial pain. This allows us to process our thoughts and offers us an option to heal. We start to realize that existing in a life with nothing is totally exhausting. We observe others living life around us; and we secretly want to be like them.

What I know to be true is that intense pain changes, if we allow ourselves to find our place in the world that still exists. Time softens the hardness of those wounds, like an incision after surgery. With proper care, the incision begins to heal. The scar loses its sensitivity and, through the natural healing process, the painful memory softens.

The signs of reinvesting in life

Although the grieving process is complex, we can find simple signs that we instinctively want to heal from our pain. These signs simply say, “It’s time to let go and move on.” Some of the signs we experienced included the following: We began to tell the stories of Chad’s life, often with a giggle and a smile. We began to attend social and family functions, recognizing the benefit of having supportive people who help us face a changed world. We connected with God in new ways that were personal and fulfilling and let go of our anger. We looked for ways to make sure Chad’s life mattered.

A very positive sign of reinvesting in life is the search for meaning. This is a discovery process that makes one wonder: “What is the purpose of my life? What is my life plan? Is God still watching over me?” We seek and find reasons to be happy again. It was healing to wake up in the morning and find that her first thoughts weren’t about Chad or the misery of pain. This gave us new energy to start a day with new possibilities. We appreciate small miracles every day.

Growth in compassion and understanding are key signs that wounds are healing. We instinctively became more compassionate with all kinds of losses and struggles that others were dealing with. Grief is humbling and can open your heart to limitless opportunities to share, serve and walk a new path, very different from what you ever imagined.

It is not time that heals wounds. It is what we do with our grievance and with our lives as a result of the trauma or loss that caused us great pain. When we look at others who have “overcome” obstacles in life, we mentally compare our situation to theirs. We can look at them and wonder. “I can’t imagine how they did it. What is their secret?” When we act on these instincts, we replace pain and suffering with HOPE.

Who am I now?

We become advocates for change, because we recognize that in order to live fully we must honor the obstacles we have overcome. We live in a world of change. Think back a generation or two and remember all the changes that have occurred in technology, lifestyles, clothing, women’s rights, and disease management. Be amazed at how adversity creates change and change creates a better existence.

I feel blessed to have overcome intense grief and to have learned to accept the results. I feel blessed to be able to look back and remember, as horrible as it was, and to recognize that the memories of that pain are temporary. I can quickly return to the current world of the living. I will never forget Chad, who was such a wonderful part of our lives. His story still reinforces great lessons of human nature, humility, sacrifice and endless love.

There’s no question that I’m not the same person I was before Chad died. On the outside, I have definitely aged. But on the inside, that’s where I’m really different. I have learned that life’s surprises make me as vulnerable to challenges as anyone. I have replaced “forgotten dreams” with “maybe moments”. I’ve put my regrets behind me (“I wish I had, I could have”) and focus only on the sanctity of happy memories. Family lovers and friends have shared my sorrows; listened to my story; and helped me honor the past.

Inside, I understand the word “friend”, and I am lucky to have made many new friends. I value my commitments and I have learned to say “No”. I adjust my priorities, sometimes after tense moments of fighting the internal ego that says “you have to” or “you have to.” I am more true to myself. In the need to create continuity in life, I try to build bridges where before there were many gaps. Although it often seems like I’m not ready for just one event, I’m most prepared for the biggest event of all.

I’m still the mother who lost a child. I still feel sad dreaming dreams that will never come true but I keep going. Time has healed the deepest wounds, but a shadow of the scars will always remain. They are battle scars; honor medals. They mean Courage, Wisdom and Strength. They create unlimited stories of Hope. They are marks in time, lessons of love, and I wear them with pride. They pay tribute to this anonymous quote; “Bread is inevitable, suffering is optional.” I think about healing pain and replacing suffering with hope.