Wild Sibling Grief Prompts: Your Grief Matters
3 free companion prompts from A Surviving Sibling's Bill of Rights
Yesterday I asked you to read the Surviving Sibling’s Bill of Rights once, slowly, and notice which ones landed for you. These three prompts go deeper into three of those rights. There is no order to them. Pick whichever is asking for you.
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1. Be your own witness
Drawn from Right 1.
Today, witness yourself. Take a piece of your loss that has never been told. This is not what was in the obituary or the version made tidy for someone else. This is the version only you have been carrying.
Write it down. Then read it back, slowly.
If you want to go further, read it out loud, alone, in a quiet room.
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2. Setting a limit
Drawn from Right 8.
Write a limit you want to set with someone who has been getting your grief wrong or expecting you to “be over it by now,” or to be your old self.
Three sentences, max. You do not have to use it, but you can.
If you want to go further, write what they might say back or how you can enforce this boundary if you set it.
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3. One moment of joy
Drawn from Right 10.
Write about a moment of joy you have had since your sibling died. What was it and when did you realize you were experiencing joy? Did anything in you flinch, feel guilt, or another negative emotion?
If you want to go further, imagine sharing this moment with your sibling. How would they respond to the experience? How would they respond to your emotional responses
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If these prompts helped, the full Wild Grief Prompt Set goes deeper. Paid subscribers get 9 prompts later today that explore the continuing bond, carrying your sibling into the futures they were supposed to have, and what it means to keep noticing the world on their behalf.
If one or more of these landed, I'd love to know which one(s).
Warmly,
Angela
Tony’s little sister 🐺
Register for our inaugural book club, Tony’s Corner, in which we are reading Brilliant Disguise by Susan Kellam.
The Broken Pack: Stories of Sibling Loss is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Wild Grief is written by Dr. Angela Dean, PsyD, FT, GTMR (psychologist, thanatologist, and Tony’s surviving sibling). Interactions with The Broken Pack, LLC, Dr. Angela Dean, and its content do not constitute a therapeutic or professional psychological relationship with Dr. Dean. All content is educational and informational, not clinical advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out to your local crisis line or warm line, or visit findahelpline.com.
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