Collective Grief

On September 8, the Queen of England passed away, plunging the UK and many other parts of the world into a (sometimes complicated) grief. Three days later, the United States marked the 21st anniversary of September 11. And for the past two and a half years, the world has experienced a tremendous loss through the COVID-19 pandemic. While each of these events impact the individual differently, they are all examples of collective grief. 

Collective grief is something that happens when a community - large or small - experiences the same loss. A shared response such as this can offer healing, as community members come together to support and remember. However, it can also cause conflict as individuals react in a wide range of ways. 

Society today is forever interwoven. We will inevitably continue to experience loss as large and small communities. We will inevitably mourn together while mourning individually. In doing so, we must remember to support each other while leaving space for personal response and emotions. As ever and as we have said many times since 2020, though we may all be in the same storm, we are in different boats.

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