Why Do People Put Stipulations On Grief When We All Grieve Differently?

Everyone grieves tragedy differently. Just like everyone celebrates triumphs differently. When did it become okay or normal to TELL someone how to react to death? Whether the person is known or not. Let’s talk about it.

Contrary to popular belief, there are actually people in the world who don’t broadcast their entire life on the internet. You probably won’t know whether they bought a new house, had a baby, had a death in the family, etc. because they celebrate and grieve in real life rather than on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. So when something tragic happens, such as the passing of a celebrity, they may be silent about it online. But that gives no one the right to tell them they aren’t grieving, they don’t care or that they NEED to post about something tragic. Telling celebrities to post a colleague that has recently passed away is not cool. Asking why they haven’t posted is not cool either. They do have feelings, just like the rest of us.

Think about whenever someone posts online that a family member of a friend passed away. I’m sure they asked for prayers and may have even asked for donations. And with those requests, they expect their social media friends (most of which are strangers) to oblige and show support. However, when a celebrity dies, apparently you’re not supposed to be sad or pray for their families because you either “weren’t a fan” or “don’t know them in real life.” Where did this logic come from? When did it become wrong to grieve the death of a human being, especially the great ones?

Even the people who have the “glass half full” approach look at death differently. They may not cry or visibly seem bothered by tragedy because they express their grief through music or physical alterations like tattoos or hairstyles. That doesn’t mean they don’t care or don’t take the loss seriously; it simply means they grieve using expressions.

Nothing is more frustrating to seeing people berating others online because they express their sadness for the loss of an artist as if there’s an unwritten rule that says you can only grieve the deaths of people you know. And if that’s the case, then there shouldn’t be any requests from your Facebook friends for prayers for your sick grandmother because your Facebook friends don’t know her, right?

Death is a hard pill to swallow within itself. And it’s a sensitive and emotional time for many. There’s no reason why people should be negative towards each other during that time. Let people handle loss in their own way and lean on each other instead.

R.I.P Neighborhood Nip ??