Cheryl Strayed gained strength through the long grieving process following the loss of her mother. The unexpected and horrific journey on the Pacific Crest Trail changed her character to such an extent that she can now bear to live another day in life; she is now married and has two children. The wilderness taught him to find his own inner fulfillment. From heroin abuse to multiple sexual encounters, Strayed found different paths to feeling something inside herself again; feel alive. “I can do that. I'm going to waste my life. I become unwanted” (Strayed 53). It took strength, motivation and determination to start working overtime to save for hiking gear expenses, only to quit his job and embark on this "absurd" journey to traveling 1,100 miles without realizing what she was really asking. During and after his stressful time during his mother's forty-nine day battle with cancer, Strayed experienced numerous sexual urges. Sometimes the doctor gave his mother morphine without a word, sometimes he told her no in a voice as soft as that penis in his pants (Strayed 21). She was one of three children who stayed with her mother during her suffering. Instead of frequently breaking down in tears and avoiding seeing his mother in pain, Strayed showed courage by staying at his mother's bedside to cherish the final moments. Her disbelief in God also affected her moments of helplessness, as she had nowhere to turn for comfort other than these sexual impulses. Strayed spiraled out of control and was destructive and life-threatening through drug use and sex, but she gave up. on his life. She fought and insisted to find happiness; “I was hungry for love” (Strayed 23). She no longer knew how to deal... middle of paper ...... such negative experiences that broke the boundaries of emotional freedom and tested her physical and emotional limits. “Every part of my body hurts. Except my heart. I didn’t see anyone, but strange as it may seem, I didn’t miss anyone” (Strayed 70). This is a turn of events. “Every part of my body hurts except my heart,” gives new meaning and shows how Strayed manages to find emotional stability in the wake of his mother's death and illness. This shows great strength as she rises above the obstacles thrown in her path - the feeling of what it means to be alive. This work invites and informs the reader about the many ways one can cope with loss; Additionally, Strayed demonstrates what can work for everyone: the sublimation method. Work CitedStrayed, Cheryl. Wild: From lost and found items on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Vintage Books, 2012. Print.