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Mending Piece By Piece Newsletter
Anniversaries of Loss & Collective Grief: Navigating Together
Linda Falasco
July 18, 2025
For me, July is always filled with significant anniversaries of loved ones who have passed, making it a particularly heavy month. Additionally, with the recent tragedy of the devastating floods in Texas, we are collectively experiencing grief. Understanding why certain dates have such a profound emotional impact can help us navigate these moments with greater awareness, compassion, and intention.
🌻 Personal Anniversaries Why Certain Dates Impact Us Deeply
Anniversaries of loss can evoke powerful emotions because they trigger memories and remind us of significant milestones associated with our loved ones. Our minds and bodies often subconsciously associate these dates with the original intensity of loss, creating emotional responses that may surprise us even years later. These dates can also symbolize the enduring love and connection we continue to hold, making them both challenging and meaningful.
How to Cope With Significant Dates:
Plan Ahead: Anticipating difficult emotions can help you prepare emotionally and practically.
Allow Yourself to Feel: Permit yourself to experience the emotions that arise without judgment.
Seek Support: Reach out to trusted friends, family, or support groups who understand your journey.
Engage in Self-Care: Prioritize activities that promote well-being, such as journaling, meditation, gentle exercise, or spending time in nature.
Ways to Honor and Remember Loved Ones:
Create Rituals: Establish meaningful traditions, like lighting a candle, planting a tree, or visiting a special place.
Share Memories: Invite friends or family to share stories or photographs.
Make a Charitable Gesture: Donate or volunteer in memory of your loved one.
Creative Expression: Use writing, art, music, or other forms of creativity to honor and express your feelings.
For more on honoring your loved one, check out this video:
Personal Reflection:
Today marks 31 years since I lost my brother Jeff—a profound turning point in my life. It’s hard to believe I’ve now lived more years without him than I did with him. As I grow older, the absence feels even more pronounced. Friend circles grow smaller, people settle into the rhythm of family life, and it becomes harder not to notice who’s missing.
Losing both of my siblings has left a unique kind of emptiness. We were supposed to grow old together—watch our kids grow up side by side, take family vacations, celebrate holidays, and create a lifetime of memories.
Sometimes when I look at Jeff’s picture, I feel the distance of time—it’s like looking at a stranger, and that thought alone breaks my heart. My chest aches, my stomach feels heavy, and the sadness is still there. Even after 31 years, the pain hasn’t disappeared—it’s simply changed shape.
To honor Jeff’s memory, I'll be hosting a special giveaway today, offering signed copies of my book, Mending Piece by Piece. Please check social media for details and join in by sharing your own memories.
Always in my heart Jeff
Collective Grief: Coming Together in Times of Need
Understanding Collective Grief
Collective grief occurs when communities experience sorrow together due to a shared tragedy, like the recent floods in Texas. Such events remind us that we are interconnected and emphasize our common humanity and vulnerability. Whether we are directly impacted or not, witnessing widespread suffering can bring up our own unresolved grief and emotional pain.
The Power and Weight of Shared Mourning
When grief is shared on a community or national scale, it creates a ripple effect. We see ourselves in others. We feel the helplessness, fear, and sorrow of those who are suffering. This emotional connection, while painful, can also be a powerful source of unity, empathy, and resilience. Collective grief often brings people together to support one another in ways that individual grief cannot.
How Personal Loss Amplifies Empathy:
Our own experiences with grief deepen our empathy, allowing us to offer genuine compassion and meaningful support to others during collective tragedies. It also helps us to be more aware of how layered grief can be—there’s grief for the person, the loss of normalcy, the fear for others, and even the grief of watching suffering unfold without having a clear way to help.
Practical Ways to Support Grieving Communities:
Reach out with encouraging and comforting messages.
Donate to trustworthy organizations providing direct aid.
Volunteer your time and resources to local relief efforts.
Help raise awareness and share accurate information about ongoing recovery efforts.
Acknowledge the grief publicly—don’t minimize or dismiss it. Give others space to express their emotions.
Collective grief is a reminder that while our losses may feel deeply personal, we are never truly alone in them. In moments like these, our shared humanity becomes a source of strength.
New and Helpful Videos on YouTube
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Save the Dates
24th Annual Candlelight Vigil Remembering Those Lost to Suicide |
The event will be held at Rose Tree Park at the Gazebo on Wednesday, September 10, starting at 7:00 pm. The rain date is September 11. This event has gathered anywhere from 150-300 people from the tri-state area coming together to honor and remember loved ones lost to suicide. It has become a safe place for many to come together to find hope, comfort, and support. The evening consists of speakers, music, Life Keeper Memory quilts, a presentation of the MaryEllen Carpenter Award, a reading of names, and candle lighting. |
If you would like to attend or have your loved ones’ name remembered please contact the event organizer, Linda Falasco at [email protected] with the number of people attending and loved one’s name. This helps in preparation for the event and ensures having enough supplies. |
Support Mending Piece by Piece
If you’ve found comfort, inspiration, or support through our podcast and newsletter, consider helping us continue this important work by buying us "a cup of coffee." Your support goes a long way in allowing us to produce meaningful content, host guests who share their powerful stories, and create a compassionate space for those navigating grief. With your help, we can continue to offer hope and healing to those who need it most.
Thank you for being a part of our community and helping us make a difference—one step at a time.
Looking for additional resources to assist with the grief process check out Mending Piece by Piece Workbooks & Journals.
Additional Resources for Grief Support
🔹 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org
24/7 confidential support.
🔹 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
NAMI.org | 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
🔹 Crisis Text Line
Text HELLO to 741741 | 24/7 text support.
🔹 The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families
dougy.org
🔹 Compassionate Friends
compassionatefriends.org | Peer support for bereaved families.
Final Thoughts
Navigating grief—personal or collective—is never easy, but together we can find strength and hope. Let’s continue to support each other in mending piece by piece.
With compassion and care,
Linda Falasco