Whether it be your dog or your dad, a friend or your grandparent, loss is never an easy thing to deal with. It hurts, a deep hurt that doesn't quite have words to explain it. But, there are some things I have learned through my experience with it. Here are some pieces of advice for you:

1. Stay strong.

This is not an easy thing to do, but it is a necessity. Whomever it is that you've lost, they wouldn't want to see you hurting so badly all the time. If you need to take a minute to yourself, sneak into a bathroom or take a walk. If the people around you see that something is wrong, chances are you aren't in the mood to talk about it and it will only make it worse. So walk into the bathroom, turn the sink on and let it out for a couple of seconds. Then it is time to put your big girl/boy pants back on and continue on with your day.

When I lost my grandpa three years ago, this was the hardest thing for me to learn how to do. I had to try and make it through school without losing it. The day he passed away, I actually stayed at school for about two hours. Then, one of my teachers pulled me outside and told me I needed to go home and be with my family. I took a couple of days to get my heart back in one piece and gather my emotions. Then I went back to school. People were asking how I was doing and it wasn't an easy question because I wasn't doing well, but I had to get on with life for my grandpa.

2. Just keep swimming.

In life, unfortunately when we lose someone, the clock doesn't stop. The world doesn't stop moving and life goes on all around you. Then we have to take a page out of Dory's book and just keep swimming. Though the hurt doesn't fade and some days can feel like a challenge, you have to keep going, keep doing things you did before. They may not be in your physical presence anymore, but you have to try and remember that they are still watching you.

3. Find people who have been through something similar.

If you have a group of people or just one person that understands what you are going through, this is extremely helpful. People can try and give you advice, but if they've never felt the hurt you're feeling, they don't truly know. Find people who do know, that way they can share their tricks and steps they took to get better.

You may be able to help them, too. That is always a nice feeling. Helping someone else get through something is satisfying because you are no longer focusing on how you cannot help yourself, but instead how well you are helping others. Now you just have to learn how to take your own advice as well.

4. Stay busy.

Keeping your mind moving and your body in motion was always a really good way for me to take my mind off of things, especially from the hurting in my heart. Sadness has a tendency to just hop out of nowhere and latch on to you. You have to learn how to shake him off, like a dog stepping out of the lake.

The best way for me to shake the sadness out was to go and play golf. I spent a lot of my time after my grandpa passed out at the golf course. It was the one thing I could do that allowed for me to put my energy into something.

The kids that I babysit were also a very good thing for me. They were always ready to do something, whether it be a project or just sit and chat with me. They kept my mind busy and my heart warm. Such great kids.

Find your something that fills that void, even if it is just a little bit. A little bit is better than nothing. Like I mentioned before, the person you lost wouldn't want to see you losing other parts of you.

5. Write letters to who you lost.

The hardest part in losing my grandpa, for me, was the fact that he missed my graduation, my successful senior year of high school, my first year of college and he is going to miss my college graduation, my wedding and his great grandchildren. I felt that he was missing out on things and he was the last person I thought would be missing these things.

I used to write in a journal every night to try and remember my days or let out some emotions. Instead of just writing, I started addressing my grandpa letters. I would tell him about my day, or anything that I had coming up. If I was missing him, I would always write that down and act like he would actually be getting the letter. For some, this might do the opposite of helping, but if you look at it in my perspective, it helps. For me, it was a way for me to feel that he was still involved in all of these things, even though he wasn't here. I would tell him how everyone is doing so that he wouldn't have to worry. It was also a way for me to remind myself that even though he isn't here, he is watching over me and in a way, he does get the letters.

6. Cry it out.

When all else fails, a good cry is always a go to. It is a way for your mind and heart to release built up emotions. Let the tears fall because you are sad and that is perfectly fine. Let the tears fall because you miss someone and that is perfectly fine. You are allowed to feel however you would like to because they are your feelings. Don't be ashamed to cry (that means you, too, boys), because crying is natural. Your body simply needs a release and it can be found in a good sob session. So put some sad songs on, step in the shower and just let it out.

Don't let anyone tell you how to feel either. If someone is telling you you shouldn't be sad anymore, don't listen to them. You can feel however you want because, like I said before, those are your feelings. If they tell you you need to get over it, walk away. There is no such thing as getting over something sometimes. For me, losing my grandpa is something I will never get over, simply because he was such an important person in my life. Unless someone is trying to help you out of your sad moment or try and help the grieving process, walk away from them or block them out because they aren't important. These are probably the type of people who haven't experienced this type of hurt so they are irrelevant.

7. Time doesn't help.

Some people may think that if it's been over a certain amount of time that the hurt will fade and that it isn't as big of a deal. Well, they are wrong. It has been three years since I lost my grandpa and the hurt is no different than it was the day he passed. I wish it was different or less, but it just isn't. So if someone tells you that it's been so long and it shouldn't hurt that bad anymore, take another peek at the picture above. Your grieving process is entirely yours and whether it takes you a couple days or a couple years, you go through what you have to go through.

Life has this strange way of taking things away from us too soon. My grandpa was one of those cases and I know I am not alone in this type of situation. I wanted to give my pieces of advice because this is the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with so maybe, just maybe, if I can help you, then you can help someone else, and so on and so forth.

I wish I had words and tricks that could make it just disappear, but I don't. If you find the way for sadness and grief to disappear, let me know, because I would love to have it. These are the ways that have helped me and continue to help me. Just know that the person or people that you lost are proud of you, always.

R.I.P Grandpa Stoneburner. You were the best man I knew and I hope I'm continuing to make you proud. This one is for you. Love always.