Today is National Grief Awareness Day. Recently, there have been two high profile deaths, actors Kelly Preston last month and Chadwick Boseman two days ago. Many people admired these two actors for their work on the screen and their activism to help others.
Some people might question how anyone can grieve the death of someone you didn't know. I believe that if you have compassion for people, life and struggle then you can grieve the loss of people you didn't know. Perhaps, their death triggers a memory or situation for you. Perhaps, you think about the death of a loved one. Perhaps, their death triggers your realization of your own mortality. Grief is relatable as at some point you'll experience it directly. You can feel the loss. You have empathy.
Your grief for someone you may not have known personally may or may not be as different and/or intense as the death of someone you know. Research shows that there are five phases of grief.
1) Denial, which is the disbelief that the person actually died.
2) Anger, which is directed at the person for dying or the situation or condition that brought about the death such as a car accident or illness. Or, maybe you're angry at yourself about what you did or didn't do or say.
3) Bargaining, which is the "if only" statements such as "If only I did this then they wouldn't have died."
4) Depression, which is deep feelings of sorrow about the death.
5) Acceptance, which is making peace with the death even if you're still upset.
You might be wondering what you can do to honor the deceased. Think about what you admired about the person. Was it their activism, the way they treated people, advice they gave, they way they lived their life. And find a way to remember. Let me give you an example. Let's say that you admired the deceased person's philosophy on life, which was to live life to the fullest. Then figure out something that you'd want to do to show that you're living your life to the fullest. Perhaps, you finish your college education. Perhaps, it's supporting a cause that you always wanted to get involved with. Perhaps, it's making amends with someone. And you do this in their name as a way to honor them.
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