As Labor Day and the official end of the summer season approach, we at A Haven are preparing for another date that’s important to us – National Grief Awareness Day on Aug. 30.

If you’re not familiar with A Haven, we are a nonprofit organization serving grieving children and families in Chester County. Our mission is to partner with grieving families by providing support, outreach to the community, education, and hope. We work every day to provide a safe and supportive environment for kids and their caregivers at A Haven, but on days like National Grief Awareness Day, we shift our focus outwards to work on ensuring that there is grief literacy and support surrounding families wherever they are.  

It feels strange to think about raising awareness for something of which so many of us are already intimately aware. Grief is universal and will touch all of us in some way over the course of our lifetimes. So, why the need for an official day to raise awareness? Well, though so many of us walk in grief every day, we don’t talk about it with each other.

Many of us have experienced the death of someone we love. Some of those deaths may have been life shaping events – yet how many of us talk openly with others about those loved ones who have died or the impacts that their deaths have had on us? It is easy to feel that you’re the only one juggling all of life’s daily to do’s while also holding space in your heart for the tenderness of grief when you look around and see others moving through their days with perceived ease or when you chat with colleagues and acquaintances about a range of other topics.  

It’s vulnerable to bring up something that feels intense and personal. We worry about becoming upset in front of someone else, about making people uncomfortable with our feelings, or about triggering something from someone’s past that may cause them to get upset. Yet, the end result is that many of us feel alone.

We may start to think we’re the only ones who have known this particular pain. That we’re the only ones who hold closely to and long to share memories of those now gone. We may actually be standing amongst people who have had similar experiences and who would also relish knowing that they’re in good company. 

Grieving people say that they feel a sense of deep comfort when others mention by name their loved ones who have died. They report feeling grateful to know that others remember their people, too. They tell us that they never forget about the loss, so it’s impossible to “remind” them by bringing it up.

Culturally, we now have a better understanding that grief is complex and ongoing as opposed to linear or time limited, so there does not come a day for grievers when suddenly their loss is no longer a part of their life or story. There is no expiration date for remembering those we have lost or needing others to hold a safe space for us while we grieve.  

A Haven offers you a challenge on this upcoming Grief Awareness Day. Step into this vulnerability while chatting with others and ask to share a favorite memory of a loved one who has died. Reach out to a friend or family member who has lost someone and ask how they are feeling today or if they’d like to spend some time talking and remembering their person. If someone shares their grief with you, just listen and don’t stress about finding the “right” response.

Let the young people in your life see and hear you do this. Let’s be gentle as we explore what it’s like to talk about what was previously left unsaid. Let’s take on that exploration together – tomorrow, Aug. 30, by raising awareness of how we all are of grief and grieving.

We can be in this together. Know that A Haven is with you, too.  

A Haven is wrapping up their Give Grief Hope Campaign. For more info on how to support or to give visit: Give — A Haven 

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A Haven is an Exton-based nonprofit that offers various grief support groups and grief resources for families with children, teens, and young adults (ages 3-24) who have experienced the death of someone they know. All support groups are offered at no cost to families. A Haven utilizes a family-centered approach, acknowledging that empowering families to walk through grief together is an important piece in supporting a grieving child. Learn more.