The non-emotional side of loss:

The non-emotional side: listing what I have lost then taking appropriate steps to be functional again.

I lost my wallet. Don’t know where. Have retraced my steps, called stores. Just don’t know for sure.

So this morning I spent time on the phone, stopping credit cards, ordering a couple of new ones, going to the bank and getting to order a new debit card and get some cash. Get a temporary driver’s license and order the replacement one. Order another AAA card, get another proof of insurance certificate out of the file, notify Hope for the Heart to stop my credit cards and order another one.

At first I felt shock, then confusion and panic. Then I calmed down, listed my losses and then took action to see what I would need to do to function again. Some things like the cash in the wallet is gone forever as well as a few pictures. So for a short time, I was totally not functional and still for the next couple of weeks until all of the replacements come in I will not be at full speed. Once my losses are dealt with I will be functional and whole again.

Of course, recovering from loss is more than a practical, logical step by step return to full functionality. But it is helpful to figure out how you are going to compensate for your specific areas of loss.

The emotional side of loss is another matter. It doesn’t yield to logic and control and in fact it is dangerous to try and control it.