Title: Grieving the Death of a Parent can be a life-changing experience.
Headings: Grieving the Death of a Parent
Grieving the Death of a Parent
Unique issues related to the loss of a parent
How the death of a parent can change our priorities
Ongoing triggers for grief

Content: One after-effect of the loss of a parent is the potential for positive change in the aftermath of grief. Ongoing triggers for grief
Long-term challenges to manage during bereavement are “ grief triggers .” Many things can trigger a return to intense grief — expected things like a birthday, a holiday or the anniversary of your parent’s death. Or more subtle experiences like seeing clothing once worn by him or her, catching a scent of perfume, or smelling a particular food being cooked. A common trigger can also be the death of another relative or friend, or a pet…even “secondhand” grief. Someone you might not know well dies, yet this may trigger your grief again. All of this is normal, expected, and something you should allow yourself to feel; do not judge yourself for reacting or not reacting to any of these triggers. Developmental issues can also trigger grief, especially for children or adolescents — when a girl has to start high school without her mom or when a boy turns sixteen and realizes he doesn’t have his dad to teach him how to drive. Or when a wedding is being planned and there is no father to walk down the aisle with or mother to dance with.