Everybody at one point in life has experienced loss with its accompanying feeling of grief. Grief is the human response to loss and it is part of life. So grief is normal! As humans, we will all experience loss and grieve loss, it is normal. What is not normal is to remain in grief or not even grieve at all. You see, grieving is the natural progression when loss happens. It is a process which means a series of actions or emotions must have play and pan out for a certain resolution to occur.
While there are many stages at play in the process of grief, we all grieve differently and the time line differs from person to person. Grief can be short term or prolonged but if its prolonged, there is need for intervention and professional support. Two people might experience the same traumatic event but be affected differently so they respond or react differently. One person might cry and the other may not!
That one person did not express grief by crying does not mean the person was affected less. Crying is just one way of experiencing grief but not the only way.
To cry in the wake of loss is normal but crying perpetually is a signal of deeper issues. There is need for resolution.
The saying “real men dont cry” has ended up creating emotionally damaged men who think its unmanly to show emotions therefore reinforcing toxic masculinity. Crying shows that we are all human and not immune to pain, hurt or loss. Like someone said “crying is how the soul purges itself”.
it is ok to cry and mourn in the wake of loss but never remain at any stage in the trajectory of grief where you are stuck and unable to continue.
Let grief takes it course; your mental health will be better for it!