Dealing with loss

So far 2008 has been a year of loss for me. I've experienced loss on a few different levels. I've experienced personal loss (the loss of my grandfather on January 27, 2008), professional loss and material loss (someone went into my car and took all of my car audio stuff with the exception of the factory radio February 9, 2008). Now the personal loss saddened me deeply and I will miss my grandfather but his passing marked a release for him because he was in a lot of pain. I just wish I had gotten the chance to spend more time with him growing up but I really enjoyed the time I did spend with him. He was a very colorful man and quite debonair.

Now my professional loss made me sad at first but I realized that it was for the best and that you can't always do business with friends. I'm just glad I made the decision to step away so that the friendship wouldn't suffer. I know I'm a different person when I'm doing business and sometimes friends don't understand the separation.

The material loss was more upsetting because someone went into my car as it sat in my driveway and took things out of it. Now I'm annoyed that I have to replace these things but I'm more disturbed at how unsafe I feel at my own home. I also lost my car key so I had to get the lock changed for my car's ignition (the cheapest option) to prevent the thief (who may have found the key) from coming back and driving away in my car.

Overall this period of loss has given me some perspective. It has definitely made me stronger and more comfortable allowing myself to be upset about things. Now I won't even begin to say that I have worked through it and am ready to move on. These losses will be with me for some time, but it hasn't erased my optimism. This is still the year for me to continue to move forward and build on the foundation I have been laying over the past couple of years.