Anniversary Of The Death

We encourage you to send your love and sympathy the day after death, but be careful about making these statements, which may bring great grief at a sensitive time. It can be hard to express your feelings in words, so reading the comforting words others have written on the anniversary of death may help. You do not need to worry about saying exactly the right things — simply convey what is in your heart in order to provide reassurance for those you love on a death anniversary.

Unlike wedding anniversaries, memorializing their death anniversary may be a sad, hurtful day, yet many people feel that marking a loved one’s death is a part of the process of grief. Feelings of sadness may come back around the anniversary of the loved one’s death, or other special days, during the year. Feelings of grief are not necessarily setbacks in the grief process.

A death anniversary, memorial day, or memorial day–the anniversary that someone you loved passed away–can trigger a range of emotions, from sadness and anxiety to powerlessness and fear. Whether you believe that marking the passing of a loved one is important, on a loved one’s death anniversary, or an event like their birthday, how you choose to recognize or honor the passing of a loved one does not need to be the same each year. Certain reminders of your loved one may be unavoidable, such as visiting the loved one’s gravesite, marking the person’s death anniversary, holidays, birthdays, or new events that you know they or she would enjoy.

Whether or not you take up any or all of the suggestions above, maybe the most important thing you can do to help yourself deal with the anniversary of your loved one’s death is to tell yourself that it is ok to feel however you are feeling, no matter how many years it is been since the death occurred. Regardless of any outside or imposed self-imposed biases you may encounter when the anniversary of your loved one’s death approaches, give yourself the gift of permission to feel whatever spectrum of emotions you may feel in order to help you push through your grief. It can be incredibly healing to see memories and messages from the people you loved in the wake of losing someone, especially if it is been a while since you have spoken.

It feels good to be at a place that was special to the person you loved and lost, as it brings up memories and a spirit that was part of the way they lived. It is not about replacing their friends, it is about loving a griever with the spirit the deceased friend would have.