National Grief Awareness Day on August 30 is dedicated to raising awareness of the many ways in which individuals cope with this universal aspect of the human experience.

Grief encompasses all emotions around a loss, and mourning is the external expression of the pain. Thanks to our vastly improved understanding of physical and mental healthcare, grief is now understood far differently than it was even a century ago.

In 1917, famous psychologist Sigmund Freud wrote: "Grieving is a natural process that should not be tampered with."

This encapsulates the sentiment well: grieving is a normal part of life that should be accepted and not be repressed, ignored, or cause anyone to feel weak or ashamed. Grief does not require any action to "fix it," nor does it have an expiration date. Those grieving the death of a loved one will not suddenly "get over it" one day. The emotional potency may lessen with time, but the profound sense of loss will always be a part of that person's life.

Giving ourselves and others permission to grieve does much to lighten the load. Sharing our honest feelings openly during times of grief and even "mourning with others who mourn" deepens our connections with one another, strengthens our relationships, and diminishes feelings of loneliness.