A young man facing the loss of his mother shared his journey through grief, sparking a discussion about the impact of losing a family member.
On Wednesday, Australian influencer Bill Barker opened up about the pain he was facing after his mother, Jayne, died of cancer.
“It’s been four and a half days since Mom passed away, and to say the last four and a half days have been a roller coaster is an understatement,” he said.
‘The first two days I was like a disaster. I was devastated.
‘Life is not all sunshine and rainbows.
Barker had recently returned to his apartment after spending days grieving with his family and making funeral arrangements.
While he found it difficult to express what it’s like to lose a father, Barker explained what the first days of the loss were like for him.
Bill Barker (pictured) shared a video on Wednesday talking about how he is dealing with the death of his mother, Jayne.
Mr Barker’s mother (pictured together) passed away last week and the influencer admitted: “I’ve never had to deal with pain like this before, the first two days I was a disaster.”
‘I’ve never had to deal with pain like this before, the first two days I was a mess. I was just devastated,’ he said.
‘Mom keeps being so creepy and sending me these signs. I keep seeing her everywhere.
‘Like the rainbow that was on my flight home this morning. I had never seen a rainbow while on a plane and this was my rainbow.
“I instantly smiled and said, ‘Mom,’ and then I chatted with her a little bit on the plane, and it’s things like that that make me feel at peace and know that she’s not in pain anymore.”
He added that he wasn’t sure what to do in the time between his mother’s death and her funeral.
“I just wanted to take this week just for myself and to treat myself well and look after myself,” Mr Barker said.
She then thanked all her followers who sent messages of support and strangers for their acts of kindness, saying: “It means the f***ing world, literally the world.”
‘All my friends, I came home and had cards and flowers and it’s been the most beautiful support I could ever ask for.
‘Mom’s favorite flowers are sunflowers. tThere are so many flowers here. I am very grateful.
‘This morning on the plane the Virgin girls wrote me a letter and gave me some snacks.
‘I’m literally taking this week as a self-care week. I’m double cleansing my body. I’m going to shower a lot and go for walks with hot girls.
“I’ve never been through anything like this, so I just try to surround myself with people that make me happy and do things that make me happy.”
Many Australians shared their experiences after the death of their parents.
One said: “After my mother passed away her best friend who is a psychic received a message from her to me, each one takes a different amount of time once you cross but you are already receiving signs from her.”
Another added: I lost my dad eight years ago and I still get signs from him and it’s always exactly when I need him, so even though your mom is gone she will never leave you.
Others also revealed that they were struggling with the loss.
‘I lost my mom a little over a month ago. “My world is broken and I can’t understand how I can’t just pick up the phone and call her,” one wrote.
‘I lost my dad almost six months ago, take it day by day and be very kind to yourself. Grief is not linear,” said another.
Another wrote: ‘I lost my father ten years ago. The most important thing I have learned is that pain comes in waves.
‘It may be a few days and you’ll feel good about conquering your everyday life, or it may be 10 years later and the pain hits you again.
“Just know that it gets better with time.”
Mr Barker’s open discussion of his grief encouraged other Australians to share their own experiences.
Barker (pictured) spoke of seeing “signs” from his mother, like a rainbow on the plane home, that made him “feel at peace.”
“She’s looking out for you and is so proud to send you love,” a third added.
‘I’m sure she would want you to take care of yourself and grieve however you see fit. You got this,” she said a fourth.
‘It’s so powerful that you are sharing these things. “You are amazing,” added a fifth.
‘Keep talking to her. Thinking of you and your family. Grief is a very personal process. “Be kind to yourself,” said another.
Mr Barker’s manager told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Jayne was an incredible lady, mother and friend. The room lit up every time she entered.