JCAC's Blog, Serving the Community

For many people, the close of the calendar year is a time of deep reflection. As one year winds down and a new one looms on the horizon, most of us find ourselves considering the events of the last 12 months, and speculating about what the future may bring. Our social media feeds may be full of year-end reflection posts, other people’s highlight reels of their accomplishments and milestones hit in 2021, as well as their bold and optimistic resolutions and declarations for the coming year. For grievers, however, this socially sanctioned proof of the passage of time can be complicated. If you’ve lost someone close to you (or experienced another life-altering change, like a divorce ...

For many people, the close of the calendar year is a time of deep reflection. As one year winds down and a new one looms on the horizon, most of us find ourselves considering the events of the last 12 months, and speculating about what the future may bring. Our social media feeds may be full of year-end reflection posts, other people’s highlight reels of their accomplishments and milestones hit in 2021, as well as their bold and optimistic resolutions and declarations for the coming year. For grievers, however, this socially sanctioned proof of the passage of time can be complicated. If you’ve lost someone close to you (or experienced another life-altering change, like a divorce ...

What is grief?

Grief is an intense emotional, spiritual, and physical experience that tends to follow a loss event or significant life change. Although culturally we tend to associate grief most commonly with things like death and divorce, many experts believe that you can grieve any major change or deviation from what was “normal” before. This includes the changes that our culture sees as being largely positive, like weddings, moves, and retirement. Even in these situations, the “old” way of life is gone permanently, and despite the fact that these may have been intended and anticipated changes, they often do trigger grief responses and adjustment difficulties.

What ...