Honoring Your Grief

National Grief Awareness Day is August 30, 2024. This day honors the truth that grief is a slippery emotion that is not always easy to grasp.

Grief is an emotion with a strong physical presence. Working through our loss is a lifetime effort—while it may change, and in some ways lessen, over the years, it will likely remain in some ways.

The following ways to acknowledge grief can help ease our sense of loss and loneliness. A sense of ritual is part of being human and connects us to those we have lost. See if any of the following might work for you:

Don’t be afraid to speak the name of those who have died. Keeping their memory alive brings grief to the surface where it can be shared and eased.

Acknowledge their birthday with a kind memory, activity, or favorite meal.

Create a thoughtful altar in your home. Hang a small bell or chime to bring sound to their memory. Place small items on a shelf to bring their presence to the day.

Plant a tree in their honor. A time-tested effort, trees are a universal symbol of the perseverance of life. If you are not in a place to plant a tree, try nurturing a small plant to connect with the natural world.

Create a memory box or scrapbook. This can be an electronic photo book, digital frame, or an actual album that offers a tactile dimension.

Ask others to write a letter containing their favorite memory of the person who has died.

Ways to honor grief are as individual as each of us. You may find comfort in traditional religious ceremony, or in group therapy as ways to acknowledge the universality of grief. You may find solace in ways that are unique to you and your loss, or that are a shared ritual of the human experience. At Enchanted Sky Hospice, we understand the pain of grief and are here to work with families and individuals during times of loss. Please reach out if we can be of service during this time.