These are MY gray hairs talking:

Yup, that's how it goes. It DOES pass but this is how it passes.

You get to exercise some choice in how you do it though-- the cleanest way to grieve is by looking at the happiness. Put her happiest picture in front of you-- the Christmas card family-style would be a good approach-- and stick the good memories deep in your heart like a knife to lance the festering parts of the wound.

Arrange a chance to fall asleep after the spate of tears, then go for a walk after the nap, and do this cycle again, and again, and again.

MAKE yourself balance the crying time with time spent with all your attention on something positive in present time so your brain chemistry has time to recover in between physiologically.

Take a lot of extra vitamin C & B because the tears will flush them out. Pee a lot. Drink a lot of water. Use artificial tears. Watch your blood sugar-- this is stress afecting it.

NONE of this will make it feel any better, but it will help you manage it and survive it and get through it faster and with more positive lessons learned for later.

I swear to God. This is how it is done. And-- call your pastor, OK, he's gotten some parenting gray hairs, too, and can help in areas we can't.

Another good person to ask about grieving is Mudcatter Animaterra.

Hang in there, you can DO this.

~Susan