Loss comes in many shapes and forms, and it affects each person differently. Our youth tends to struggle with issues related to loss due to a lack of developed coping skills.
Some examples of loss include:
death of someone you love
parents getting a divorce
separation from a parent or caregiver
moving away from friends or changing schools
losing the ability to do certain things through disability
Grief
After loss comes grief.
Grief is a process. No two people experience it the same way.
Grief is a painful experience, but the pain does subside.
It may involve:
denial, shock, or disbelief
questions, questions, questions
guilt
anger or anxiety
feelings of loneliness
hope
crying, sobbing, depression
physical symptoms
acceptance
Tips to Help with Grief
Take it one step at a time
Live each day as it comes. Take control of the things you can, and accept this disruption in your life.
Make sure you get plenty of rest and eat healthy foods so that you'll have more strength and energy to handle those tougher moments or days.
Accept your own feelings
Understand what you feel is natural. Let yourself cry, talk about the loss, or have a laugh.
Express your feelings
Talk, write a letter, journal, paint, draw, or sing. Express whatever you are feeling. Talk about the good and the bad.
When you try to hold your painful feelings inside, it can create more problems.
Find support
Talk to a friend, family member, or someone you trust. If you think you need to, seek out counseling.
Your family and friends will want to help you to handle your grief but won't always know how. If you know what you need from them, tell them!
Celebrate your memory
Plant something as a living memorial, carry something that reminds you of the person or thing, create a memory book, put a photo up that makes you smile, etc.
Reward yourself
Be kind to yourself. Do things you like to do. Treat yourself to things that make you happy.
Tips to Help Others with Their Grief
Be available and present, if you can
Just knowing that someone is near or available can be an incredible amount of help for those who are grieving.
If you don't know what to say or do, simple things like a hug, making someone a meal, or sending flowers to show you're there can be a great comfort and give those grieving a boost of hope and strength.
Be patient with those experiencing a loss
People handle loss and grief in different ways and for different periods of time. Just because one person has been able to overcome their grief doesn't mean that others have had enough time to overcome theirs.
Encourage those who are grieving to continue trying to live with the changes that have come about after their loss.
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world. It focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed away.
Traditions connected with the holiday include
building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts
bringing toys for los angelitos ("little angels" or children who have passed away) and bottles of tequila, mezcal, or jars of atole for adults
decorating the graves with the ofrendas (offerings) to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them
wearing shells on their clothing, so when they dance, the noise will wake up the spirits
spending time around the altars or graves, telling anecdotes and funny stories about the deceased
leaving pillows and blankets out so the souls of the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, people spend all night besides the graves of their loved ones
decorating, creating, and wearing skull masks called calacas, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead