Working with college students on a campus there is a certain rhythm to the school year. There is the obvious one that is set up given the two semesters and the summer time, and with this comes the usual time at the end of the spring semester that is more often than not filled with feelings of loss, both from the students and from the faculty and staff as we wrap up the school year. With that, I've been thinking a lot about loss in general, as myself, coworkers, and students all face our own loss's with the impending end of the academic year.

Loss is a tricky thing and there are so many different types of it. Loss can be anything from graduation from college, or saying goodbye to a friend who moves out of town, or the passing of a loved one. It's incredibly hard to process and can be overwhelming, since as human beings we need time to thoroughly think about what we had and what we lost in any given experience. A topic that comes up a lot in our experiences with loss, especially when someone close to you may pass away, is that people around us (albeit they try to have good intentions) tend to tell us to "get back into a routine" and "keep ourselves busy" which honestly can be more hindering in terms of processing grief. As I mentioned, we need time, and when I say time, there is no limit to the amount that any of us may need to process a loss. While it is a challenging part of being a human being, it's not a fast process, as more often than not grief is rushed, displaced, and when we don't give ourselves the time we need we often delay the grief and experience months or years after the loss may happen.

This is why its so important to devote the time (however long we may need) to process and deal with the losses we experience. There are a multitude of ways to deal with loss, and whether its creating a memory album, performing ritualistic tasks to commemorate the person or thing, or spending time with people specifically so conversations can revolve around the person who was lost; any of these tools can be helpful in working through grief. As with most issues that we deal with as human beings, its always important to own that its alright to experience them, which first and foremost allows yourself the ability to deal with them. After that, taking the steps you need and time to work through the grief, as the loss may not change but the way you view the loss and what it represents in your life will undoubtedly evolve.