Dealing With Grief

I recently lost my dog, Scooby after 14 years of being together.  It really was a great loss in my life.  It was really the first major loss in my life.  I have had grandparents pass, which, don't get me wrong, were difficult to deal with, but they weren't living with me.  I now have to deal with getting up every day without saying good morning to my closest friend.  Throughout this whole ordeal, I have come to realize how I respond to grief.  I have also looked at how others respond to grief as well.  We all have differing ways of responding and what works for some does not work for others.  My biggest "aha" moment was recognizing that when I needed to cry, I let it loose.  I also realized that strange and often sudden waves of sadness would come over me.  I have decided to sit with these feelings, feel them and allow myself to grieve when I need to.  Have you lost someone close to you?  In what ways do you grieve?