We all hope to have a life full of more good times than bad, but grieving the loss of a loved one is inevitable.

Next week, a local church will host a two-day grief counseling event, featuring three speakers who have dealt with personal loss.

These women will share their stories about how the loss of their loved one was a troubling time, but by going through the grieving process they were able to come to grips with the experience and move forward with their lives.

The manner in which we all deal with aspects of life is a personal choice. Some of us may feel more comfortable speaking about our feelings, while others choose to deal with life’s adversities internally.

What we all need to be careful of is

becoming stuck in one of the five stages of dealing with  that loss, which include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

As we move through these steps there are some things that can help make that path a little easier.

By realizing the methods that work best for you, any of these tips can be modified to suit the individual.

Talking with others can help bring negative feelings out in the open, and help a person move forward. For those who deal with things internally, consider a journal.

Just like with sharing feeling with another person, writing things down also gets emotions out, and it will keep those emotions private at the same time.

Being active and finding creative ways to keep your mind busy are also good for dealing with grief. These methods can work for just about any personality, because it keeps the mind engaged in the things that are good about life.

And don’t forget to spend time with the loved ones who are still alive while grieving.

Keep in mind, they too are dealing with loss.