Grief noun\ˈgrēf\ noun
- deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement his grief over his son’s death
- cause of such suffering life’s joys and griefs
- an unfortunate outcome : disaster —used chiefly in the phrase come to grief
- mishap, misadventure
- trouble, annoyance enough grief for one day
Grief is a multifaceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, cultural, spiritual and philosophical dimensions. While the terms are often used interchangeably, bereavement refers to the state of loss, and grief is the reaction to that loss.
Grief is a natural response to loss. It is the emotional suffering one feels when something or someone the individual loves is taken away. The grief associated with death is familiar to most people, but individuals grieve in connection with a variety of losses throughout their lives, such as unemployment, ill health or the end of a relationship. Loss can be categorized as either physical or abstract, the physical loss being related to something that the individual can touch or measure, such as losing a spouse through death, while other types of loss are abstract, and relate to aspects of a person’s social interactions.
12-6-18 Parting of the Sensory by Modest Mouse
12-6-18 As we get older, the amount of funerals you begin to attend starts to grow…exponentially. It seems like there comes a point where, for the most part, many of us start to become desensitized, at least externally. When I was first listening to this song, I used...
12-5-18 What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie
12-5-18 What Sarah Said, has always been one of the most emotionally charged songs for me. There isn’t one element of it that I’ve ever felt a need to critique. And as the pages on the calendar slip quicker and quicker, the poignancy of the lyrics increases more and...
12-4-18 Lazarus by David Bowie
12-4-18 In a rare opportunity the artist David Bowie was able to leave fans one last gift…though it may be wrapped up in grief and death, it’s creation alone signifies a hope that many do not get to give. In his final year leading up to his death Bowie knew his time...
12-3-18 Bye Bye by Mammút
12-3-18 Grief can often feel like we’re isolated, alone drifting out to sea with no hope in sight. Its majesty is daunting, and at least in the moment, incalculable to our emotional minds. There’s no wonder that one of the first responses is to abandon the feeling as...
12-2-18 Maggie by Colin Hay
12-2-18 The connections we make with one another are often inexplicable in how deeply interwoven they may be. Those we’ve had long-standing relationships can leave our hearts and minds quicker than the stranger that offered help one time ten years ago. There’s nothing...
12-1-18 How it Ends by Devotchka
12-1-18 Grief is interesting. It is different than mourning and bereavement. Whereas mourning is the outward expression of our grief and bereavement is the continued process one is placed in as a result of a loss, grief can almost be found in the direct moment where...
11-30-18 The Beautiful Burial Flowers We Will Never See By Alaska in Winter
11-30-18 Alaska in Winter (AIW) evokes deep emotion within me. Truthfully, I could make an argument for most emotions being represented by the music. Most songs are absent of words. The music speaks more than any lyrics could. Though brooding and somewhat dismal in...
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