Mourning as a Healing Process

Losing a loved one is a very difficult life event, and the path to healing isn’t often a straight one. It can lead to feelings of shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance and hope. 

While it might be easy to pretend that the feelings you’re experiencing don’t exist, it’s best to let your emotions out constructively. Part of navigating this can come from the support of close friends or family, a support group, a grief counselor, or others in your community. Having a constructive outlet to communicate your thoughts and feelings is an important part of the healing process, in addition to allowing yourself to mourn with their support. 

Although the ritual of this varies depending on culture, holding a public ceremony to give yourself a memorable moment to mourn alongside your loved one’s close community is part of the process. One that lets you publicly honor their life. 

Memorializing someone as a part of this process can also be healing, and a way to honor the one we love. Consider planting a Kiri tree to celebrate their life, or if you know of someone who has recently experienced loss, gifting them a Kiri tree to plant to honor their loved one can be a way to cherish their memory through beauty and growth.