August 30th is National Grief Awareness Day; this day is aimed at bringing awareness to the many ways to cope with loss.1 Grief was vastly unspoken of or researched about for many years. Previously, grief was seen as something everyone must go through, thus, grief did not need to be looked into further.
National Grief Awareness Day is important because not only does it bring awareness to this difficult topic, it also saves lives. Enduring grief sometimes leads to depression; it’s important to support yourself and others going through grief. This day also helps those going through grief gain access to many different resources.
How can you help someone that’s going through grief?2 You can speak about the person who passed fondly; you can help draw out your loved one’s feelings by letting them know that they don’t have to be strong and can grieve within their own timeline; and you can also just sit with your loved one, simply being there and not saying anything can be a great way to support someone.
1 https://nationaltoday.com/national-grief-awareness-day/
2 https://familydoctor.org/helping-older-adults-deal-with-life-changing-events/