Grief Awareness Day
Loss is a part of life. Every individual suffers loss in one way or the other. It could be the loss of money, opportunity, or a loved one. Regardless of the loss, coping with it is important. It’s essential to overcome grief and have a positive outcome in life.
National Grief Awareness Day, observed on August 30, is a day of understanding dedicated to raising awareness of ways people cope with loss. Here is all you need to know about the day.
Historical Significance
The concept of grief and emotional loss goes a long way back. People have been coping with loss for centuries. However, it wasn’t until recently when people became more vocal about grief and how people handle it.
National Grief Awareness Day was founded by Annie Cartwright in 2014, an American woman who has suffered a lot of pain and grief in her life.
When she was five, she lost her sister. In 1996, her husband passed away in a car accident. And in 2010, she lost her mother to a drug overdose. When going through these painful emotions, she realized that there was a certain sigma and attitude towards grief. When someone is in grief, people suggest they get over it quickly and move on, showing that grief is a taboo and something that must be fixed. As a result, the grieving person feels ashamed and forces themself to move on.
Grief Awareness Day attempts to change the way people think about grief. It aims at educating people that grief is a natural emotion and shouldn’t be seen as a taboo.
How Can You Celebrate Grief Awareness Day?
There are several ways to celebrate Grief Awareness Day. These include:
Embrace Your Grief
Are you running away from your grief because people wanted you to move on? This Grief Awareness Day, embrace your grief. Remember that grief and mourning are different. Mourning is the external expression associated with a loss, whereas grief is the internal pain. You may stop mourning for a loss after a few weeks or months, but the internal pain could stay forever.
Support a Grieving Friend or Relative
If you know a friend or relative who is grieving, offer your support to them. Kindly don’t tell them to move on, as it will negate the primary purpose of Grief Awareness Day. Stay by their side and act as a pillar of support for them.
Educate People on Grief
Another impactful way to celebrate National Grief Day is to educate people about the right meaning of grief. Look for people in your circle who believe people should move on from a loss as soon as possible. Tell them that grief isn’t something that should be rushed, and a grieving person should take all the time they want to grieve.
Final Thoughts
Grief Awareness Day attempts to make people realize that grieving is normal and a grieving person shouldn’t be forced to move on and pretend as if nothing happened. A grieving person cannot completely resolve grief; it can only lessen over time.
