Loss is a part of life.

It's hit my family hard in the past several years with the loss of grandparents, dear friends and expectations that were set that didn't come through.

For others I know, it's looked like lost scholarships, jobs and falling short in competition they've prepared their entire lives for - regardless of age. As adults, we have the ability to process and work through the emotions that inevitably come as a result of not achieving.

Our kids handle things much differently thoughnot just because the loss they experience at this time in their lives are different, but because they are still weeding through feelings and what they mean.

How we handle our emotions as it relates to difficult circumstances shows our kids how to handle situations as they grow up.

The loss my child feels when she doesn't win a race is no different than the loss I feel when I don't achieve a goal I have in my life and fall short.

The work she did to prepare herself for her competition is parallel to the preparation I undertook to be ready for my next big step. The loss is felt deeply as though everything we did was for nothing. But it's not. What we learn in the midst of preparation for whatever

What we learn in the midst of preparation for whatever it is that we are working for can lay a foundation for something bigger on the horizon.

For our kids, that groundwork means a better jump shot, a quicker time in a race or a better opportunity to earn playing time. The residual impact of preparation is what we gain in the wake of loss.

It allows us all to see that despite not achieving what we originally thought we would, we are in a better place to keep moving forward and raise the bar.

Recognizing that loss can present itself in different ways for different people, both young and old, can help us all move forward together and find a place of peace in the midst of it all. We are all fighting battles that are different, and how we come away from those challenges can either mold us into better people or break us down.

As an eternal optimist, I look for the light in the darkness because I know it's there.

That doesn't mean I don't acknowledge the loss or what I'm feeling, it simply means that by taking inventory of all the things that led up to that moment, I can take something away from my work leading up - even if it doesn't take the shape I wanted it to initially.

Loss is a part of life.

And no matter what way it presents itself, it's hard. Ultimately, what we take from that experience will help us learn how to move forward.

"The loss is felt deeply as though everything we did was for nothing. But it's not."