When Tragedy Strikes

By: Kristen Neighbarger Published on: 07/06/2023

We all process and deal with trauma differently. I’m sure most of us have heard of the flight, fight, or freeze response. I seem to have the “micro-manage every detail of the trauma” response. So far, I haven’t been able to find that in a textbook anywhere. It only makes sense, then, that when I knew trauma and tragedy were striking our family again that I automatically shifted into that response. I’ve spent the last several days pulling out decor, tablescapes, and candles–because I can’t have my grandma’s wake look shabby! I spent last night arranging 24 vases of flowers in Grandma’s favorite colors. I’ve ordered all the food, organized the three different playlists, staffed the wake, and written the eulogy. Because that’s how my brain works, and it’s how I respond to trauma. N0t everyone responds this way, though. We’re all different, and that doesn’t make one of us right or anyone else wrong.