long, sometimes lifelong in its depth and breadth. Feelings of loss can come and go, and the grieving individual may even experience moments of elation, laughter, liberation, and peace.
Even then, that same individual may also experience guilt, sensing somewhere in his or her mind that laughter and joy somehow dishonor the dead and lessen their importance and the significance of their passing. This guilt is indeed misplaced, but it is a normal part of the grieving process and is widely experienced by those grieving the loss of a loved one, whether sudden or expected.
While some widows and widowers report that the first year is the hardest, others find that the second or third year is even more difficult to navigate, especially as other family members move on with their lives and the widow or widower remains alone with their memories and their pain.
There is no cookie-cutter answer or map that can chart the course of a grieving individual’s experience. We know that the grieving individual will experience an enormous range of emotions over the short- and long-term, and we must honor the fact that every person’s reaction to the death of a loved one will be unique.
It’s (Almost) All Normal
When someone is grieving, remember that all emotions are normal, whatever they may be. If the loss was sudden or violent, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a possible reaction as well, and this often requires