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I’ve created an infographic about Grieving and Facing the New Year. Having lost someone dear to my heart (in 2019 my son was killed in a tragic accident), I feel that every new year, my loss seems further away. When people ask, when did I lose my son, and I answer 2019, I can imagine that they might think that a lot of time has passed.
Grieving and Time
The nature of time for others will not be the same as what it means to us. As grievers, we wish we could continue to say that “we just lost our loved one a few months ago” even though it might have been years. Because for us, as parents of Zackaël, our pain is still as hurtful as it was when the year turned from 2019 to 2020. However, now it’s 2023 and our loss might seem far away.
For people who have lost their loved ones in 2021, they can no longer say that their loved one “died last year”. This is hard. Time passes quickly but the wound heals slowly.
As you might notice in my infographic below, even though it’s a new year, let’s not forget that the year 2023 will still be “heavy” for many grievers ; which is why it’s being lifted by a crane.

Infographic (text)
The New Year does not mean that:
- the grief is less heavy
- it’s been a “long time” since the death
- it’s time to move on
- 2023 will be back to normal
For the bereaved, a new year is a new year without their loved one. Time passes but the pain remains. The transition to a new year does not make their grief less important. We must then continue to support the ones who are grieving and understand that even if the death of their loved one is in the past, their pain is in the present.
That’s it for now!
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