Wear Your Grief

Wear Your Grief is a social connection initiative that has grown from the memory of my beautiful mum, who passed away from cancer in 2018. There are many moments that remind me how much I miss her and how special she was. These are moments that I will continue to have for always, because that’s what grief is.

Grief is a human experience. Unlike visible injuries, grief is often unseen and can instil feelings of loneliness. It is felt deeply and sadly on some days, but can make you smile and remember fondly on others. Grief experiences can also be tangled up in the complexity of relationships as they existed in life before death. Grief-feeling moments and days can be random and unexpected, or can be anticipated in the lead-up to calendar dates or life events that hold significance. Grief can tap you on the shoulder as life goes on and new experiences are had, but someone is missing from the journey. Grief can be complex, and in Western society, is often misunderstood, rushed, or filled with expectations about timelines that do not reflect the very non-linear forever experience of grief.

But what if, like a visible injury, grief could be seen without having to explain it first, and the outside world could understand the deep, day-to-day and lifelong impacts of grief with less judgment and more compassion.

Wear Your Grief is a way for grief to be visible. It is a way to ignite conversations about grief and those we miss or are fearful of losing due to illness or other reasons, and to acknowledge the human experience of what it can mean to grieve.

Wear Your Grief pins are available (for postage within Australia) for you to wear your grief, or to connect with someone who is grieving. Reach out via the contact page on this website.