#DiversityInLoss – Drawing helped me to phrase what I was feeling

Something that I think is really important is that people are given the space to explore their grief and communicate in a way that works for them. We are not all talkers, or even writers. I really encourage people to write, because it helped and still does help me so much. I am not a writer. Yet, writing felt natural and an automatic release of my thoughts. For others, it is singing as we heard from Sophie earlier in the series, or drawing, as we hear today from Nora.

Please welcome Nora and Aron to the Diversity in Loss series….

Grief is something I had never experienced before I lost my son. When my grandparents passed away I was still young and in a way it felt natural, more like the circle of life. 

The reason I started to draw is basically the fact that I couldn’t really talk about my loss. I couldn’t put it in words not even when visiting the psychologist. I was struggling. I was afraid I would be judged. I was afraid of everything and everyone. I remember one day going to the supermarket and I saw someone I knew. My heart just started to beat really fast and I was literally afraid to meet him. I hid. 

So staying at home and trying to figure out what’s next, what is the now led me to start my Instagram blog. At the beginning I kept it to myself and slowly after a few posts there was this huge realisation: I am not alone. I was shocked there were so many women sharing my story and more. 

Drawing helped me to phrase what I was feeling. Which is huge. Once you understand what you feel there is a chance you can deal with it, you can process it or at least live with it.

Drawing helped me to find a medium which I was comfortable to share my story with and made me not to fee alone.

Drawing guided me to a direction where I could both heal myself and hopefully help other parents as well. 

Drawing was an escape route which turned out to be facing my and other’s reality. 

Drawing is a force which after losing my son was still inside me to fight for myself and my husband. 

Drawing is something which led me to meet amazing people and realise we are here for each other. Helped me to see the bigger picture and go even beyond my tragedy.
Today I think Áron is proud of me. Seeing I didn’t and have not give up. He is proud of me helping others by sharing my story of losing him. And most importantly not giving up on having a family.

You can explore more of Nora’s drawings over on her Instagram, here.