LibraryScenariosWhen grief doesn't show up the way your family expects it to
Scenario

When grief doesn't show up the way your family expects it to

My grandmother died three weeks ago and my family expects me to wail and throw myself on the ground like the other women, but I feel numb and empty and I am afraid they think I did not love her enough.

Mira
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

The heart grieves in its own rhythm, but communal traditions demand synchronized sorrow.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with African grief traditions — communal mourning?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.