April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

TS Eliot

Robbie Stamp's asked us to do this one. The Create Team are pleased to comply.

Grief: sooner or later, we all experience it. It is part of being alive on this planet. How do we deal with it? This month, we'd like you to share with us. We'd like you to think about what happens when you experience deep loss – the loss of a friend or family member, the loss of an animal companion, or a serious alteration in circumstance that leaves you bereft.

Here are some questions for those who have experienced grief, though you may have more.

• Is grief a duty? An affliction? A form of healing?
• Does grieving affect the way you see the world?
• What did other people do for you in a time of grief that was helpful – or unhelpful? Have you been able to help grieving friends? If you have, how did you manage it?
• Some people say there are 'stages' to grief. Has that been your experience? Does labelling the 'stages' help?
• Does time really heal emotional wounds?
• Do you think anything positive ever comes out of grief? If not, then why do we grieve? If so, could you share your positive experiences?

As always, we welcome your personal anecdotes and stories. We also welcome fiction, poetry, art, photography, graphic narrative, and factual entries for the Edited Guide. This Create topic can be a mitzvah¹ for yourself as well as others. Help Robbie and the Create Team as we try to deepen our understanding of this common experience.

Resources: Please watch Robbie Stamp's TEDx Talk on the subject when you get a chance. And read Researchers' thoughts in the Post tributes archive.

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