Is there a way to live a normal life after tragedy.. can you ever truly move past it and be happy again?

There is, but your definition of "normal" may (and likely will) change. For the vast majority of us, time will lessen the wound. It will never truly go away; the scar will always be there. But we learn to adapt and live with it to the best of our ability.

I'm sorry for your loss. Allow yourself to fully grieve and, if you find that your grief continues to impact your life negatively, please don't hesitate to seek counsel.

Also, just my personal opinion here; please don't play the "I should have known/done something different" game. We make decisions based on the information we have at the time. To second guess yourself after the fact is worthless to you emotionally.

Thank you BrawnwynII.

BrawnwynII are you a couselor IRL?

No, not at all. What a responsibility that would be!

Mostly I just reply to questions based on how I've had to learn to deal with my own personal adversity. Sometimes it hits the mark, sometimes it doesn't.

It's funny but sometimes, like in this post, I can actually FEEL what that person is feeling and it makes me sad or worried. A lot of the time that's why I'm the first post. I just can't type fast enough it seems lol

I was 16 when my Gramma died. I'm now almost 31. There are day when I STILL miss her like it was yesterday. I absolutely HATE that cliche about time healing all wounds. It does NOT heal the wound, it just makes it more bearable. It took me two years before I could cry for her loss. It was my paternal grandmother and my dad just fell apart.

Take it one day at a time. Be sad. Be angry. Be whatever. Just Be. You will have better days than others. Do NOT feel guilty for being happy (down the road) when they're gone.

I also agree 100% with what Brawnwyn said.

Missing them is the hard part. After the deaths of people that I love very much, I still cry but I have good days, too.

I wonder why my immediate family has had too much death while my extended family has not. It's not fair but I'm glad that my Dad and brother are in a better place. God had a reason for wanting them to go home.

I wish that movie was real too. There are a few things I would erase.

I was with both of my Parents when they passed. Neither was a peaceful death, they were both very sick, and struggled. I live with it everyday, dream about it at night. But... I know I have to keep moving forward, for my Kids, my Husband, and Myself. I don't think it would be fair to them , or myself if I didn't. I look at grief as a private thing. If I continue to live in a fog, and don't get up and keep going that's very selfish of me. It's been 7 yrs since my Dad passed, and 12 yrs since my Mom passed, and it's true, the pain never goes away, but it does get easier... That's how I feel, and I realize that it's not the same for others, but I would never tell anyone how to grieve, or not to...

no... you cannot go back to your old normal - you will grow and find a new normal - most parents who lose a child will tell you something along those lines.

Please join a support group, or ask your family doctor for a referral to a therapist. Good luck to you