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You’ve probably heard this famous Benjamin Franklin quote, “…nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”

We say grief should be on that list too.

 Raise your hand if you’ve experienced the heartache of a break-up, the death of a friend, family member, or pet, a miscarriage, loss of trust, losing a job, a child leaving home, bankruptcy, retirement or any other loss? There’s a huge likelihood that you have.

 August 30 is Grief Awareness Day, a perfect time to spread the word that everyone grieves, that grief is normal and natural and that no one should grieve alone.

 How did Grief Awareness Day start?

Grief Awareness Day was founded in 2014 by Angie Cartwright. Angie knew what it was like to experience grief and the loneliness and misinformation that comes along with it. As a young child her sister died, then years later she lived through the death of her husband and mother. In fact, Angie chose August 30 for Grief Awareness Day to honor her mother’s birthday.

Angie Cartwright’s goal in creating this day was not only to educate others about grief but to inspire people to be honest about their own heartache so that grievers around the world would know that they aren’t alone. Angie even started a petition to make Grief Awareness Day a national holiday.

 Grief Education

 Grief Awareness Day is the perfect time to discuss misinformation about grief. One popular example is the infamous stages of grief. In 1969, Elizabeth Kubler Ross wrote the book On Death and Dying in which she discussed emotions that a patient might feel upon finding out they have a terminal illness. I’m sure you know the stages: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. The problem is that people have applied these arbitrary stages that a terminal patient might feel to something that all grievers do feel.

And it’s simply not true. Some grievers cry, some don’t. Some grievers are angry, others are not. Grief is unique to each individual, so classifying stages can be harmful.

 Although there are no stages of grief, there are common characteristics that grievers may experience. Difficulty concentrating and sleeping, or changes in their eating habits are just a few.

Another huge piece of misinformation is the advice people give about grief. Have you ever heard the myth that grief just takes time? In over 40+ years helping grievers, The Grief Recovery Institute, we’ve found that time hasn’t healed anyone’s broken heart. It’s the action someone takes during a certain time frame that helps them recover.

It would be my honor to help those that are navigating the rough terrain of Grief. Call 931-455-9118 during business hours, and ask for Jack.

R. Jack Kennington, is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist in Tullahoma and can be reached at – 931-434-6313 or at captainjackrtr@gmail.com.