Hi Jessica. There are studies of people's personalities and temperaments and some of us are more naturally optimistic, while others are more naturally pessimistic. Martin Seligman's book Learned Optimism is a very interested read, if that appeals to you (though more academic). I feel I had an advantage because optimism comes more easily to me while others may need to "learn" that perspective. Hope that helps! - Jen
This is the kind of shift in perspective we need as a society. Throwing away the old programming and actually thinking and feeling for ourselves, heck yeah!
Thank you!! Yes yes, throw away old programming ... Unlearning what is "automatic pilot" and authentically responding to life and to death. I'm with you 100%!
Oh my I'm reading some of these comments and just losing it. Such an emotionally charged conversation and some really beautiful stories being shared. Thank you Jennifer for creating this space and opportunity for people to share in this way.
Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the talk and hope you can use unconditional laughter as a tool in your own life in a way that's valuable for you.
@@katfisch7119 I wholeheartedly agree. Society’s censoring of pain versus joy or laughter could not be more obvious. I’ve been in private practice for more than two decades and cultivating safe spaces that allow others to bear witness to their pain has by far been what my clients needed more support for and permission to do. I support the experience of authentic joy, laughter, peace and optimism. I ALSO strongly believe we must have reverence for the difficult emotions and trust that they have value too. Otherwise the toxic positivity that you refer to will continue to take an incalculable toll on society. Don, I wish you strength of heart to mourn. And may you find all that you need.
Your talk has made me rethink my own beliefs about grief. It's empowering to consider that there are different ways to respond to death. Your laughter therapy sounds like a wonderful coping mechanism.
Thanks for letting me know that the talk has helped you rethink your own beliefs, and that it's been empowering for you to do that. That's something I hope we all do regularly, myself included! All the best, Jen
I've never thought about grief in this way! Clearly your experience is so unlike how we're conditioned to behave... it's really thought-provoking to be offered a different lens to view the experience of grief through
I love that you see this talk as thought-provoking since that is my hope, that it will generate conversations and the possibility to look at how we respond to death differently, free from conditioning (even if that means we feel deep sadness, at least we can experience that genuinely rather than being taught that it is the only way). I'm glad my experience can be of value to others. - Jen
Indeed, calling someone's presence forth in real time is a great way to honor and celebrate their continued impact in our own lives. Thanks for your comment!
Oh, thank you! My husband and soulmate died earlier this year, and I have been wondering what is wrong with me. After he died, I felt the strongest feelings of gratitude and community that I have ever had. I felt trapped by "grief culture" - it was stifling, creepy, and just felt wrong - and I tried to find some way to escape it. And while I miss my husband so much, I'm doing better than I ever thought. Yes, there are times when his absence is palpable, and there are times when I cry. But mostly, I'm happy. And it's so difficult to explain to people because we just don't have adequate language for it.
Thank you for taking the time to share about your experience. Yes, I truly hope more and more people will see how expecting grief as the only response to death doesn't truly reflect many of our experiences when a loved one dies. The main experience for some of us is connection and joy, and the cultural idea that "the more you love, the more you grieve" just isn't accurate. Sometimes or for some of us, the more you love someone, the more joy and gratitude you feel! And that is a beautiful thing to be honored rather than questioned. May your journey be filled with your husband's sweet presence.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I am so glad we can find the resonance with one another and allow ourselves to feel joy despite the expectation of grief. All the best to you!
You said it perfectly Jenn. I lost my dad in 2010, mom 2012, daughter 2016, son 2020, and my husband of 21 years December 18, 2022. The waves keep coming, but you do ride them out. It takes time for sure. Some days it seems hard to breathe. Thanks for your wonderful talk.
Thank you, Sue, for your comment. You experienced so many deaths in such a short time, and I can appreciate the waves that come as you readjust (I'd say we have choice points almost daily of how we readjust to a loved one's death). It sounds like you are allowing yourself to notice your own feelings, which I find so crucial. My heart does go out to you with all of these losses. And may the presence of each of them be in your life as often as you wish.
The laughter therapy is such a unique and positive approach. It's refreshing to hear a perspective that goes beyond the traditional expectations of grief.
Thank you for this. My husband died from MND/ALS 4.5 years ago. I find it very painful when the grief bubbles up and need a different response. I sometime can discover the silver lining and feel blessed for the 13 years we had together . Sadly the 18 months I cared for him in our home have left me somewhat emotionally battered. Will try to laugh more.
Death is inevitable. And grief, in my opinion is, too. It's just that we all go through it in a different way. Not everyone needs to cry their heart out to grief. Sometimes grief has a bitter-sweet taste of a loss and love.
Thanks for your comments here. I agree that we all respond different to death, it's just that for some of us, it's not with much sadness (aka grief). I know the word grief tends to mean the range of emotions, but I do hope that we will have new language so that the implication isn't that we all "grieve" when the word still has the connotation of sadness. I would say that sometimes our "response to death" has a bittersweet taste of loss and love! Indeed!
I can't imagine how confusing Jennifers emotional response would have felt for her. When you've been told you need to respond to something a certain way - to not have the feelings that everyone describes as natural could easily make you feel like there was something wrong with you.
I appreciate you understanding that it was confusing based on the expectations from others, that if I truly loved Kate, I would be devastated. I want others to know that they might have a connected and joyful response to a loved one's death as well, and that there's nothing wrong with them either! While it's important to self-reflect and be aware of if you are repressing or avoiding your feelings when someone dies, it's also important to know that you might be emotionally stable and well-adjusted because of your connection and love, and not have the expected grief others imagine. Thanks again!
I find it fascinating - so many commenters reacted, commenting on GRIEF experiences when the speaker talked about survivor response to DEATH experience. We have been culturally taught that GRIEF is the NORM after DEATH, when the research [and the presenters experience, and my experience] shows there are multiple responses after death. GRIEF is 1 of those responses. JOY/CONNECTION is a response. One is not "better" or "worse" or "believeable" or "wrong". May we all have the honor to experience whatever emotions we have after the DEATH of a loved one. ❤
Thank you!! I wrote 2 replies to you, and they seem to have disappeared. My apologies! The gist is yes yes yes I am so glad that you resonate and "get it" from your own experience. I am hopeful that these new perspectives of death and how we respond will become a more common conversation many people have.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross actually wrote about the 5 stages of dying and it got sort of hijacked and then popularized and criticized as the 5 stages of grief. I lost a son to a drug. overdose a few years ago and found myself grieving more over abuse and dead relationships with living people, and my son has continued to be a living presence in my life. I'm not as grief free as this woman, but I understand the sentiment.Thank you.
My heart goes out to you with the death of your son. Thank you for sharing here, and for expressing your awareness of your own grief and how it was more related to other dynamics. So important that we talk openly about that piece! Thank you. (And yes, "hijacked" is a good word for the 5 stages, since they are about dying rather than grief). All the best to you, sincerely. - Jen
I felt liberated after listening to Jennifer. My best friend died recently, after a battle with cancer and I was grateful she wasn't suffering any more.
I'm so glad to hear that the talk was liberating for you. Yes, you can be grateful and at peace with your friend's death and deeply love her at the same time!! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Absolutely agree that grief is not the only authentic response to death. When my grandmother died at 93 I was so relieved. The poor woman was just in constant pain, couldn't do anything and had been miserable for years.
Grief is such a strange thing I find. I have had people, or experiences, I've had to grieve, I've also had to grieve choices I've made - and how that grief shows up is so different depending on where I'm at in my life.
This talk is definitely polarizing and judging from the comments some people don't seem to get it. Personally I'm grateful for the perspective you're presenting here Jennifer. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't grieve their loved ones.
Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you know you're not alone in your experience. And yes, the talk is controversial when people think I'm saying they shouldn't grieve or be grieving, or that they should do it differently. But as you know, that's not the point. The point is to speak publicly about how some of us have a different relationship to death, which doesn't include heartache and sadness.
What's implied here, but not explicitly stated, is that we can continue the relation and even communications with our loved ones, after transition. There are many accounts of those who have experienced this. Perhaps a new normal for our culture --as it existed certainly in past indigenous cultures. In acknowledgment of this aspect, in those times, the passing was a celebration of new beginnings and opportunities.
Yes!! That concept would be too spiritual for this venue, though a connection after death is absolutely my experience and contributed to my gratitude and joy. Thank you for stating that here. May we all have more and more conversations about this continuation of relationship in new forms!
Grief is such a personal thing no one has the right to tell another person whether or not they're doing it right. I also think it's possible to grieve without sadness.
Personal, indeed. To me the significant part is to be self-aware. Are we in denial or are we coping in a healthy way? Are we conditioned or expected to have certain emotions or are we able to truly drop in to what our unique relationship and experience is with the loved one who died? Thank you for your comment!
In a world where everything we want is at the touch of a button, not being able to have access to someone we love so easily is almost unthinkable and when it happens, our world falls apart. People are living longer and longer; we even have control over how the natural world impacts us for most part. I believe it is going to be harder for people to accept death in generations to come. Inner exploration is becoming a lost art.
Interesting point, Alex. Indeed, inner exploration is such a key piece to how to respond to death. I too wonder if death will be easier or harder to face over time, for future generations. I have seen that more people - including younger people in their teens, 20s, and early 30s - are considering and thinking about death and dying more than ever. There has been a shift in willingness to have conversations about death, which is hopeful. My hope is that people will begin to see that they can have access to their loved ones on a different level after death, and that even though they can't call or FaceTime them, they can still connect. I find connection to be an antidote for loss, but as you say, people need to tend to their inner life to get there. Thanks for your thought-provoking comments! - Jen
I'm moved by your courage and resilience. Your perspective challenges societal norms and offers a fresh outlook on dealing with loss. Thank you for sharing your story.
I like this a lot. So many people think the only reason to not feel upset by a death is because you didn't actually like them that much but I think it's much healthier to approach death in this way. It is a natural part of life, not like anything horrible has happened to them that they have to live through. Plenty of worse things than death.
Yes, exactly, people tend to think if someone isn't sad enough, they weren't close to the person or didn't really love them. We tend to buy into this, and then we believe that we need to hold on to the sadness because we loved the person, and that no longer being sad shows disloyalty or dishonoring. Part of my hope is that people see that it's okay to accept death in a deep way as part of life and find our way to presence and gratitude. Thank you!
My sisters husband just died. He was my brother in law and much loved by all of his family. I honestly cannot imagine ‘laughing’ in that forced and false-sounding manner about his death or remembering him like that. We do share laughter when we talk about David, but it’s real and loving and genuine. It’s helped my sister and her children and me very much.
Thanks for sharing your experience, and my heart goes out to your sister, you, and your family. I wouldn't suggest laughing about anyone's death, honestly. Laughing "on purpose" can be a way to shift energy, and to let go of holding on to the struggle or grief, if only for a few moments. In this talk, I offer laughter as a "tool" - just allowing the body to laugh without anything being funny - and then allowing it to inform whether we are holding on to our emotional state in the moment or not. All the best as you continue to remember him together.
@@eddysgarage True, it's not easy for many people. I do believe that, once we experience the depth of emotions, we can become aware of if our thoughts are making it even more difficult. So important to release emotions and let ourselves feel what we feel - including deep sadness. And equally important to catch ourselves "feeding our feelings" with thoughts that spiral us into more sadness.
Yes, not letting it consume us is a good way to put it. Feeling it and then transforming it is possible and in the realm of most people's possibilities.
So good. Yes...I have experienced how people die does effect how I tend to think and feel about their death. "Everybody croaks." Such a nice job on this talk Jen.
I remember being told we thought our mom might die. So I found myself feeling sad and sorry for myself, making it about me and the impact on my life. And then I caught myself creating that poor me story in my head. My conclusion was the understanding of death was for those who were left behind, perhaps and most likely with regret or sorrow. Jennifer Mathews your approach to grief is in acceptance of feeling, and living a love that will never die. Truly beautiful.
Thank you, Terry, for sharing your experience here. It’s amazing to me what happens when we “catch ourselves” as you describe. I’m glad that you resonated with my approach to grief and hopefully the freedom we each have to discern which response to death is truly ours and which is conditioned. All the best to you in the new year! - Jen
This is important. It's a reminder that individuals have unique ways of coping and there's no right or wrong way to navigate emotionally tricky situations.
I often catch myself thinking about how hard it will be to live after my partner does, how painful it will be living in a world without him, ignoring the fact that I don’t know who will go first- him or me (or maybe bath at the same time). I get so scared that I push him away to try and prevent how horrible I will feel without him and I miss out on the beautiful moments we can have right now. This is why I ended up here, watching this, and I feel like I found some space to shift this thinking.
Thanks, @mia benjamin, for your honesty about how you might be pushing your partner away at times in hopes of not feeling as much pain if he's no longer in your physical life. Such important self-awareness! To me, there is cultural conditioning that tells us the more we love someone, the more grief or despair we will ("should") feel. But in my experience, the more we love someone doesn't determine our response to death or pain. In fact, my experience is that deep love can actually support us in navigating death because we love someone so much that we support the next step on their soul's path, even if that means leaving the body. I'm so glad that you found some space around this and I hope that your love continues to deepen, knowing that you will be able to always call forth your partner's presence and all he means to you, regardless of if he's in body or spirit. All the best to you! - Jen
What a beautiful and truthful perspective! I had a really great time pouring myself a glass of joy and laughter! I really appreciate this talk so much -- it gives such permission for us all to be how we really are.
Thanks! To me the key to finding connection and gratitude are practicing these BEFORE something challenging such as the death of someone we love happens in our lives. Then we already have the tools and can better apply them, even regarding death.
well isn't this just a little ray of sunshine. to see such a smile speak of such love and care and to still be able to see the positives after losing the love of her life.... what an absolute gem.
Thank you! Your words are exactly what I was hoping people would get ... that my experience is just one example (aka proof) that we all experience death of loved ones differently, and all of it is okay.
“When someone we love dies, we’re taught to ignore most of the tools we already have for well being because we are supposed to grieve instead”. This line took me by complete surprise
I'm so curious to hear what took you be surprise about this statement. I hope the sentiment is helpful to you and others. I have found that when people encounter challenging times, they often use their tools (gratitude, refocus, find their way back to center, connect, etc.) but when it comes to death, we are taught that the only thing we are supposed to feel is grief. And therefore we aren't "supposed to" use positive tools to cope because we are expected to grieve. To me, it's important to be aware of if we are truly still experiencing grief, or if we are staying in grief because of expectations. I suggest that we can use our tools for wellbeing - whatever they are - even when dealing with death.
We have lost our child at 19. We miss him immensely everyday we don't want to ignore and not miss him. We loved his presence and that makes us so sad. Sounds as though you push those feelings down, avoid the pain. Happy that you grief differently if at all. :)
Hi Neko. My heart goes out to you with the loss of your child. I'm sure you loved him deeply and realize it can be heartbreaking that he's no longer here in the physical with you. Yes, missing someone can bring a feeling of connection, even though the lack of his presence brings sadness. In my experience, connecting to my beloved's presence uplifted me. I hear that you feel the absence mostly, and that can be very very difficult. I don't believe I avoided pain, but rather that I found connection to my partner, and that this connection dissolved the loss. Of course, adjusting to the physical loss is different for everyone. May you find moments of deep connection beyond the pain, and may your healing process be filled with love. Blessings, Jen
Thank you, Laura, for really getting it! My talk really is all about exactly what you wrote, how societal expectations affect our emotional responses to anything (in this case death, but it's about everything actually). i appreciate you taking the time to comment and articulate that. YES!!!
Thanks for encouraging others to listen, Jonathan, so that we can support one another in our own experiences rather than boxing each other (and ourselves) into certain ideas and expectations!
Ha ha, yes it was quite fun and potent! Changed my life in many ways. Thanks for respecting and seeing how practicing laughter as a tool could influence my response to death. YAY!
Awesome talk Jennifer! As a hospice nurse I couldn't agree more, but rarely do individuals understand the beautiful freedom, and inevitability of death. Most, understandably, are entombed in their own loss. I share you views on death. You're an evolved soul in this regard. Very well done. 🙏 🕉
Your talk has opened my eyes to a different way of approaching death. The emphasis on adapting, resilience, and finding joy is a perspective we rarely hear. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! And for letting me know that my talk was meaningful for you. You're right, we rarely hear about finding joy as an acceptable and real response when someone experiences the death of a loved one. Of course, it's not the typical response. But it's still a valid one!
This actually makes me feel more at peace with my sadness. I think I’d be insane or shallow if I was happy and laughing hysterically after finding my child dead a few months ago . I have felt the shock , anger , the depression , deep loss and the sorrow. Now- I have had a long term & deep spiritual - mindfulness practice- so much so , I have volunteered in prisons & for hospice ( certified death doula here & death vigil volunteer) and I teach mindfulness . These practices are helping , I’m sure , and I’m grateful . I honor my heart and the pain that is present AND I am also doing all that I can to choose peace , faith , love & service and I am watching the pain transform into being a more compassionate person with a deeper sense of my Spirituality
Thank you for sharing your words and experience, Allison. My heart goes out to you, truly, as you navigate the physical loss of your child. I find that sudden deaths are a different experience entirely. I'm glad you have been practicing mindfulness meditations, and also honoring ALL of the emotions during this time of adjustment and healing. I think that's what it's all about. That we can allow ourselves to not only feel the heartache and pain, but that it's possible to choose joy and peace and love, as you've expressed here. Spirituality has played a hugs role in my journey, though I couldn't speak much about that since TEDx has rules about mentioning it. Many blessings to you and what a gift that you are of service to so many others along the way! - Jen
Thanks for your comment! Exactly, when we get past the idea of "grieving" as the only way, we can open up to more genuine responses to death for ourselves and others.
Thank-you Jennifer. Completely agree with connection. Modern society is totally grief illiterate. Only when you experience a devastating loss of a loved one do you really understand. People die but the love continues. Love is what keeps us connected. However, going through the valley after death of your precious one, as painful as it is, as long as it takes, is the only way to get to the light, understanding, acceptance and connection ~love.
Yes, indeed, the love continues! For me, the love doesn't cause grief (though that's the popular message we hear), love creates connection. Exactly. And when there is connection, I don't feel the loss because I feel the presence of connection. Thank you for taking the time to make a comment! - Jen
My heart goes out to you, that's a lot of friends to no longer have in the physical. And in a short time! You make such an important point. Certainly, our relationship to the person makes an impact on how we respond or react. And how they die, if it's a process or sudden, if we have unresolved things with them, if we are at peace with the connection, etc. etc. Thanks for watching and commenting. - Jen
Hi Rupert. Yes, I too worried this for a long time, which held me back for years from sharing my experience. What I encourage the most is self-awareness, that people can look inside and know themselves if they are in denial or avoiding feelings, or if they are genuinely using their tools for wellbeing. It's an important distinction! Being okay with death as part of the cycle of life and having a broader outlook are definitely different than repressing sadness that needs to come out. I appreciate you bringing this up. - Jen
I can't believe I never considered this before. the expectations people put on us to react a certain way are enormous and it's a relief to know the emotional outcomes of tough situations aren't set in stone.
Actually I think it's really beautiful, all the emotions Jennifer describes having felt after her partner died - especially the grateful part. Seems like a much better way to honour someone and what you've shared.
Though there are many ways to honor someone who died, I agree that grief doesn't have to be the way we experience or show our love. We can be grateful and still deeply love the person. Just because I'm not sad doesn't mean that I don't have huge love for my beloved! That's a myth, that love = grief. Thanks for your comments.
I love the idea of focusing on presence rather than absence. Your ability to shift your perspective and find joy is both brave and inspiring. Thank you for sharing such a personal journey.
Thank you! I'm currently working on a book about absence and presence, so I am thrilled to hear that you love the idea of this perspective. Your comments are much appreciated! - Jen
For me it's all a matter of perspective and how we see things, esp. life and death. I can be "disturbed" by no longer having my loved one in the physical, but amazed at how human life is temporary and what a gift it is to support someone on their journey, even when that journey is leaving the human body. I don't really expect others to understand, but I do ask for the spaciousness for us each to have our own responses to death, whether that's heartbreak or gratitude and connection. Be well!
I still grieve for my grandmother, 15 years later. But my grief takes the form of fond memories and remembering the love I felt from her. It may be in the form of positive love, but I would still call it grief because it is a sadness that she is gone couple by happiness that my life has those memories. Grief doesn’t need to be sad and melancholic, grief is missing someone or something, and you can miss them while still being happy to have had them in your world.
Yes, it's a delicate balance. To me, some of it is about how we use the language of grief. Implicit in the word grief is sadness, though it has come to have a broader definition that includes various responses and emotional experiences. My hope is that we can expand beyond an expectation of "grief" (meaning sadness here) so that everyone can have the range of responses you describe so well, including happiness and sweet memories. Thanks for your comments, Emma!
And in my perspective, if we can shift to expressing our "response to death" rather than our grief, then people have even more permission and space to express however they respond to death, even if it isn't with as much grief as others would expect. Thanks for your comment!
Your talk is a powerful reminder that grief doesn't have to be the only response to death. It's liberating to think that we can choose our emotional path, even in the face of profound loss.
I am so glad that you used the word "liberating." That is precisely the point to me, that we each are free to choose our perspectives and thoughts in each moment, and that the more we talk about this topic in light of that, the more free people can be to access inner joy and peace, even in the face of death. Many thanks to you! - Jen
Jennifer's energy is incredibly inspiring. A beautiful way to view the end of a life but the celebration of love and connection. There are so many lessons here that I think a lot of us could use. Thank you for your honesty and bravery.
I appreciate your comments, thank you! My hope is that others will see that it’s okay that some people don’t struggle as much with death, and that a deep love for someone who died can also show up as connection and joy, not just sadness. I am grateful that people like you are open to these ideas since they are rarely discussed.
When my Aunt passed, I cried the 1st night, but I dreamed of her and the fun we had as a child. We had tea parties and dress ups, and I could always tell her my secrets. She came to me in my dream and asked me to remember then, not remember the day I passed. And I do and I smile lots.
Gabrielle, I do hope that you and others are relieved to know that there are many ways to respond to death, and that grief and sadness are not true responses for everyone, for various reasons. It's okay to not be in grief, which is different from being in denial. The task is to know ourselves enough to tell the difference. Thank you for your comment. - Jen
@@jennifermathews3633I have come back to just read the comments and responses made by you. I think the idea of having the tools before an event such as losing a person in their life - is one to seriously consider. I will always remember my son's hospice chaplain saying he was most concerned about me - not explicitly stated - but how would I cope when my son would die - the expectation was - that it would be harder for me than for others. I felt comforted by his understanding of the years I had invested having more than one role in my son's life - but I do believe the idea of joy and presence and connection could have given my sorrow more peace. I am working and shifting through all of this. Thank you, Jen. Keep your voice alive and well.
@@laurelkimberlyhamilton6902 Thank you, Laurel, for your deep and intimate sharing. I don't know what it's like to go through the death of a son or child, yet I hope presence and connection are universal and can be experienced no matter what. My perspective is that intense grief gets in the way of being able to connect or feel the presence of someone who died. We learn that grief IS the connection, that we need to hold on to the sadness to feel connected (ironically), when actually love and joy are the connection and if we can step out of focusing on the absence and grief - if only for a moment - we can open space for the presence and joy to be known. And that changes everything. Many blessings to you and your willingness to see things differently. And a heartfelt thank you for your encouragement!
Thank you for this beautiful talk Jennifer. It helps me to understand and accept my own emotional process after the recent death of my mother. I thought there was something wrong with me for not "grieving" enough. Much gratitude! ❣️
Oh Tina losing my mom was hard, I like what Jenn says here, But I also like to have a cry once in a while when something special happens and I just want to tell my mom.
Its quite something to know that a loved one will die soon and though we know like the title says "Death is Inevitable" its still painful for those nearing death and for those who live on. While we're so involved in planning our lives and measuring our success, the realities of life sneak up on us. Something happens to keep you grounded, and if it hasn't yet there will be most likely be a time when an illusion bursts, disillusion sets in and there begins another journey. Grieving is a big part of living that comes with loss of many kinds. Thank you Jennifer for bringing light & laughter to the human journey.
You are a gifted communicator, Jen ! Your talk was fascinating ,provocative, and joyful . You are a true free soul and a natural teacher. It was wonderful to watch.
It's so cool to come across stuff like this, I think we're really entering an age where people are freely questioning the societal programming and "expected" response to things. Maybe it's a reflection of us connecting to our emotions and actually being brave enough to feel them and act accordingly
You totally get it! Yes, it's about questioning societal messages and expectations. To truly reflect and be more aware of our emotions and what is genuine for us. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you, Zelda, for being part of a new cultural understanding that there are many ways to respond to death, and grief is only one of the options. So grateful to you for watching and sharing this perspective in your conversations with people in your life.
I've always thought that grief was a process and although there are different stages we all tend to go about them at different rates. Grief is a funny thing. Grieving lost loved ones, grieving an idea, a dream, a situation. I guess as long as we are feeling that's all that matters.
And now I'm engaging with YOU! Thanks, Cedrick, for your kind words. To me, how we respond to death is all about the conversation. I wish there was an even better way to interact here! Mostly I get to engage with people in workshops and one-on-one sessions. But I love the range of people who show up here. I appreciate you taking the time to connect. - Jen
