When our grandmother died, my siblings and I started following the traditional mourning practices we grew up with, but my youngest brother has been pushing back saying some of the restrictions feel outdated to him while my older sister thinks we're already not doing enough to honor our ancestors. We're supposed to be supporting each other through this grief but instead we're having these tense conversations about which traditions to keep and I can feel us fracturing when we most need each other.
More people experience this than they realize.
The question of how to honor the dead becomes a battleground where different relationships to tradition threaten the very bonds that grief should strengthen.
“Where Are You with African grief traditions — communal mourning?”
Peri can explain why this happens, help you decide if this is the right situation for you, and point toward the right journey or coach.
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.