Definitions used in my presentation
“Tom Zuba – A Blessed Life”
which is available on YouTube
(select print version icon at page bottom)
There are many definitions of grief and mourning. I like these best. They help me understand what happens when I experience a loss in my life and remind me of the importance and healing powers of mourning.
Grief: The automatic, learned (conscious and unconscious), internal response to loss. (I list some of the Expressions of Grief on an accompanying page.)
Mourning: The external expression of grief. Going “public” with our grief in the presence of others. For the most part, mourning is socially unacceptable. Most people (ourselves included at times) have a strong desire to get us to stop feeling our feelings, believing that feeling the feelings IS the problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mourning is a path to healing.
