Let’s talk about grief

Grief is a Part of Life. It’s Time We Learned to Talk About It

“This realisation – that there is no expiry date on grief, no finish line – is a daunting one”

“You don’t release all of your emotions at the funeral, or on the anniversary or on their birthday, and then turn them off like a tap”

“There’s a “this too shall pass” mentality when it comes to grief. Admittedly, it is a source of great comfort in the beginning: initial pangs of loss and loneliness, I was assured, would only be temporary. The idea that “this too shall pass” became a beacon of hope in the otherwise dismal, dreary surroundings of grief.”

In retrospect, I can see how misguided this advice is. It’s a kind of “get out of jail free” card to confronting your emotions. Grief is not something that “will pass”, nor is it something that will “hit you” and then go away. Rather it is an ever-evolving set of emotions that stays with you throughout your life – it follows you everywhere you go and it will mean something different at each new phase.

“And to the grievers: I urge you to run and to share. Grief can be an alienating experience. Every person is different and thus, the loss of one, and the processing of this loss by another is an entirely unique and incomparable combination. No one is meant to know exactly how you feel, and you shouldn’t expect them to. But be willing to share. Grief is an inevitable fact of life – it’s time we learned how to talk about it.”

From: Grief is a Part of Life. It’s Time We Learned to Talk About It