National Grief Awareness Week: What It Means To Me

National Grief Awareness Week arrives each year as a reminder of something most people walk through quietly. For many, grief lives underneath everyday life, shaping how they move, what they notice, and how they connect with others. In my work with families who have lost a child suddenly and without warning, grief is not an abstract idea. It is a part of their daily rhythm, woven into routines, memories, and the ongoing effort to rebuild a world that no longer looks the way it once did.

Although this week is framed as a time to increase awareness, for me it has become a moment to reflect on the families who have let me witness their stories. They have shown me that grief is not linear or predictable. It shifts with time. It moves through anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, and ordinary days where something small, like a familiar scent or a passing comment, can open the door to a wave of emotion. These moments are not setbacks. They are reminders of connection, love, and the relationship that continues long after a child has died.

Working closely with bereaved parents has changed my understanding of grief more than any training or textbook ever could. They have taught me that grief is not a sign of weakness or a lack of resilience. It is the natural expression of love that had no chance to grow old. Parents show me, day after day, how strength can look like simply getting up, caring for surviving children, navigating work, and trying to form a life that makes space for both sorrow and joy. Grandparents show me the quiet weight of holding their own grief while wanting to protect their children from further pain. Dads show me how easy it is for their grief to be overlooked because they carry it differently. Every family teaches me something new about what it means to endure what feels unbearable.

I have also learned how deeply silence can hurt. So many families tell me that people stop checking in, stop saying the child’s name, or act as if mentioning the loss will reopen a wound. What they really want is acknowledgment. They want their child’s life to be remembered. They want others to understand that speaking their child’s name is not a burden but a comfort. It tells them that their child mattered to someone beyond their immediate family.

The families I work with have opened my eyes to the way trauma and grief intertwine, especially after sudden loss. People often expect grieving parents to return to who they were before, but sudden loss changes everything. It changes how safe the world feels, how predictable time seems, and how trust is rebuilt. Healing is not about going back. It is about slowly shaping something new while continuing to carry the love that remains.

I wish others understood that grief does not follow a timeline and cannot be measured by outward appearance. People can laugh, work, socialize, and still be grieving deeply. I wish others knew that grief is not fragile. You will not cause harm by remembering a child, offering a moment of care, or checking in around a difficult date. You do not need perfect words. What matters most is presence, honesty, and a willingness to stay close even when you feel unsure.

National Grief Awareness Week is a chance to pause and look toward those who are carrying something heavy, even if they are doing it quietly. It is an invitation to acknowledge the unseen work that grieving families do every day as they navigate life after loss. For the parents I have met, grief has shown me that love does not end. It evolves. It takes new forms. It becomes part of how they make decisions, honor memories, and find meaning in the world again.

If there is one thing I hope people take with them from this week, it is that grief deserves space and respect. The people who are grieving deserve patience, understanding, and compassion that does not fade after the first few weeks or months. And the love that continues after a child has died deserves to be witnessed and honored, always.

This week is not just about awareness. It is about seeing the very real humanity inside grief, and recognizing the courage it takes for families to keep going while carrying a love that will always have a place in their lives.