Grief (n.) will happen either as an open healing wound or a closed festering wound, either honestly or dishonestly, either appropriately or inappropriately. But emotions will be expressed.
Grief (n.) is always unique — each grief has its own imprint, as distinctive and as unique as the person we lost.
Grief (n.) is composed of a framework of five stages - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief.
Grief (n.) is necessary to the healing process -- we think we want to avoid it, but really it is the pain of the loss we want to avoid.
Grief (n.) is not just a series of events, stages, or timelines. The loss happens in a moment, but its aftermath lasts a lifetime.
Grief (n.) is real because loss is real.
Grief (n.) is the reflection of the connection that has been lost.