In Grief: Rituals of Remembrance for Special Days

Simply touching a difficult memory with some slight willingness to heal begins to soften the holding and tension around it.  ~ Stephen Levine

We’ve barely caught our breath after enduring the holidays of November, December, and January, and now the stores are bursting with hearts, flowers, and candy—celebrating once again the gift of love.

But February 14 can be a difficult day for those of us who are grieving. For some, it will be the first Valentine’s Day since our precious Valentine died. For us, there is no celebration; there is only the grief that stems from absence and the pain of loss. Sometimes, out of fear of “letting go,” we may find ourselves holding on to our pain as a way of remembering those we love. Yet letting go of what used to be is not an act of disloyalty, nor does it mean forgetting the people who have died. Letting go means leaving behind the sorrow and pain of grief and choosing to go on—taking with us only those memories and experiences that enhance our ability to grow and expand our capacity for happiness.

Understanding and Managing Grief, January 19 - February 8, 2025

Best selections from Grief Healing's X feed:

[T]hat a man might actually feel a profound emotional connection to his unborn child as it lives—or dies—inside someone else’s body is not a truth we’re especially comfortable with.“My body, my choice,” the longtime rallying cry of abortion rights advocates, emphasizes exactly whose body and whose choice it isn’t. In the public imagination, men’s feelings on this topic are of no consequence; some find it inconceivable that they even have feelings at all.  The Men Who Lost Their Babies « The FreePress

Understanding and Managing Grief & Pet Loss, February 5 - February 11, 2023

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

February 14 can be a difficult day for those of us who are grieving, and for some it will be the first Valentine’s Day since our precious Valentine died. For us there is no celebration; there is only grief. Grief Rituals Can Help on Valentine's Day (Or Any Special Day) « Grief Healing

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 6 - February 12, 2022

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Talking to children about death can be challenging. Memorials of Distintion spoke to DR Marianne Trent about how to approach the topic. How to talk to children about death: An Expert Guide « Memorials of Distinction 

Often, individuals with complicated grief reactions were wrongly viewed by health professionals and the general public as weak, too sensitive and needing to buck up and get on with things. Prolonged Grief Disorder « Psychology Today

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 2 - February 15, 2020

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream:

The celebrities we admire often function as blank screens that we project fantasies of ourselves on as heroes, saviors, or romantic figures. A grief educator explains why the death of a celebrity feels like a personal loss, and what we can do about it, https://j.mp/38nDZDe « Business Insider

To experience the richness of life once again, we need to grieve. Closure May Be a Myth, but Grief is a Necessity, https://j.mp/3bC3Edm « P.S. I Love You

Belleruth Naparstek of Health Journeys responds to an interesting question from Patty. ASK BR: Dealing with IBS & Fear of Dying, https://j.mp/2SkpXNb « YouTube

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 10 - February 16, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

A Valentine Letter for YOU, http://j.mp/2GsVbwX « Second Firsts

Grief Support: Paying it Forward, http://j.mp/2IeRdd0 « Grief Compass

Over the Edge. Maybe, http://j.mp/2IdfvUO « Soaring Spirits International

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 4 - February 10, 2018

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Grief Rituals Can Help on Valentine's Day, http://j.mp/2rPSqiJ « Grief Healing

Grieving well takes a village, or at least a team, http://j.mp/2EaZdsR « The Grief Toolbox

Grief advice for a complacent millenial, http://j.mp/2Ebps2p « Widower's Grief

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 12 - February 18, 2017

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

New Book: There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love, http://n.pr/2kJMZsU « NPR

You Can Find Love Again, http://bit.ly/2loepIz « Star Letters

Blessings of Grief, http://bit.ly/2lWRYHu « Widower's Grief

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 14 - February 20, 2016

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week: 

Oh For Goodness Sake – Stand At My Grave and Weep Already!  http://j.mp/24eplHA « Full Voice— Barbara McAfee

Valentine Grief - Healing Through A Gift of Love, http://j.mp/1WpSwli « Journey Through Loss

In Grief: When Faith and God Don't Make Sense, http://j.mp/1PzkJEc « Grief Healing

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Understanding and Managing Grief, February 7 - February 13, 2016

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week: 

Grief Rituals Can Help on Valentine's Day, http://bit.ly/gZTzkp « Grief Healing

What is the Stress of Grief Doing to Me? http://j.mp/1QcxurQ « GriefMinisterdotcom

The Reality of Growth and Grief: Where the Hell Is My Rainbow? http://j.mp/1Qcx1WI « What's Your Grief?

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 8 - February 14, 2015

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Grief Rituals Can Help on Valentine's Day, http://bit.ly/gZTzkp « Grief Healing Blog

Facebook Offers New Options For Digital Life After Death, http://j.mp/1AxG5fo « NPR

Loving Differently, http://j.mp/1vIn8q5 « Widower's Grief

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 9 - February 15, 2014

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Griefcase: What Will "They" Say? Ten Tacky Things and Ten Top Things to Say Back, http://j.mp/1jmDJF9 « Griefcase

Film Review: “Rabbit Hole” (2010) by John Cameron Mitchell,  http://j.mp/1gKBhq9 « SevenPonds Blog

Excellent piece: 'You Aren't Here Now: How Grief and Mindfulness Don't Mix,'  http://j.mp/1jmvjxx « HuffPost Healthy Living

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 10 - February 16, 2013

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Children in Cemeteries, http://j.mp/ZhL1DK  The Family Plot Blog

Grief Chronicles: Poetizing, not pathologizing, http://j.mp/YxQ10Y by @RobertStolorow via @JeanWolfePowers

The Fatigue of Grief, http://j.mp/Urwy5p by @lindanedelstein

Using photography to deal with grief, plus a chance to win a $25 giftcard to Shutterfly, http://j.mp/XWourg « What's Your Grief?

Thoughtful coverage on grief in our digital age, http://j.mp/Ynm8Sd by @StephMBuck @mashable via @WhatMattersNow