Travolta on Grief
- John Travolta lost his wife, Kelly Preston, to breast cancer in July 2020 after a two-year battle with the disease.
- Travolta advises people dealing with grief to give themselves their own space to mourn.
- Therapy, and other support resources, can be a good option for people after the loss of a loved one to cancer.
Actor John Travolta knows the pain of losing a loved one to cancer all too well. He recently opened up to Esquire Spain about his ongoing journey of grief after losing his wife, actress Kelly Preston, to breast cancer in July 2020.
Read MoreThe day after Preston’s passing, Travolta shared a loving tribute to his wife on Instagram explaining how he'd be moving forward in the days to come.
"I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while," Travolta said in the post. "But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal."
Despite attempting to give himself space, Travolta felt overwhelmed by the sadness of others. His advice: Give yourself and others space to mourn.
“The first thing that you should do when you experience grief is to go to a place where you can mourn, without any interference,” Travolta shared with Esquire. “The mourning is individual and to experience your own journey is what can lead you to heal. This is different than the journey of another person.”
Dealing with Grief
Travolta emphasized the need for space during his grieving process, and he's absolutely right. Losing a loved one to cancer can cause immeasurable pain, and allowing yourself the time and space to mourn is essential. One to place to start can be seeking out independent support resources such as therapy.
In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Camila Legaspi shared her own advice on grief after her mother died of breast cancer. For her, therapy made all the difference.
"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
"Therapy saved my life," says Legaspi. "I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on. Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings."
"When you lose someone, it's really, really, really hard," says Legaspi. "I'm so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it's going to be OK. No matter what happens, it's going to be OK."
The article by Esquire Spain was written in Spanish. SurvivorNet reporter Noorulain Khawaja translated the article for quotes.
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