Grief: What Everyone Should Know | Tanya Villanueva Tepper | TEDxUMiami

How do you handle grief? How do you respond to others’ grief? Tanya Tepper discusses her grief over her fiancé’s death and how it has affected her life. Tepper recounts stories and memories of how others treated her and others because of their grief. Sharing her wisdom about grieving, Tepper talks about the misconceptions and misunderstanding she has encountered that surround our idea of what grief is. Tanya is the 9/11 widow living happily “even" after who is featured in the Peabody award-winning documentary, Rebirth, which has a permanent home at the National September 11th Museum. Tanya is a senior advisor and speaker for the nonprofit
organization Project Rebirth, and uses the film to give audiences a personal connection to September 11th while inspiring hope and encouraging resilience to those who are coping with grief and trauma.
Tanya is also a member of the Advisory Board for Soaring Spirits International, which brings peer-based programs to the widowed community. Each year, Tanya delivers hope, comfort, and laughter through her workshops at Camp Widow, a weekend-long gathering of widows from around the world.
Tanya has written for the Huffington Post and loves her life in Miami with her husband Ray, two young daughters, and their baby bearded dragon.

[jamesscarcelli]

no one can fathom the feeling of grief unless it happens to them..it is an actual physical pain..

[janaruhl]

“Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” -Jamie Anderson

[foreverautumn]

Grief is very personal and takes as long as it takes for every single person.❤️

[daphnec]

I will NEVER be over losing my favorite person.

[netterz]

Only 2 months after my mom died I got the comment "I'm getting really worried about you" like I was crazy for still being so upset..( of course from someone who never lost a parent.) I also lost my dad 13 years before my mom died so when my mom died it also brought back the loss of my father because now I lost both parents and I felt so alone. People expect us to just get over it after the funeral.. we never get over it, we just have to move on because that's the only choice we have. I've learned I have to keep my grief to myself for the most part because if you don't people will just think theirs something wrong with you, which is sad. Life is so short and it's scary how fast someone can be here one minute and gone the next so don't take anyone in your life for granted.

[LtReese]

People often say that you grieve by stages; denial, bargaining, anger, acceptance. That model was designed for cancer patients, not regular people with different issues. Too often, people are not kind to those who grieve. They want us to act as we did before the loss. But grief changes you. Every time lose someone, you change.

[Production]

Move on from what and to? When you lose someone you love, more than life itself, it rips the soul out of you...love does not stop just because they have died...it remains...grief overtakes it's expression, because that love IS grief with no where do go. It takes time to learn to live without, life is never the same ...people say the most insensitive things, and until it happens to them, there can be no understanding...I've learnt to hide my loving grief for my son, I tuck it quietly in my heart and protect it with every painful beat.

[MrGibo]

My beautiful Wife passed away 3 months ago. Ive never experienced such pain and heartbreak in my Life before. The sickening feeling in my stomach never goes away - it never ever leaves me.

[GriefInspiredCatherineMcNulty]

People say the most painful things, not understanding how painful it can be. Finding a community of like minded people helps so much. They get the pain, they understand and they won't minimize the pain you feel.

[martyj]

I lost my girlfriend about a year ago.I guess I died with her.I can’t imagine life without her.I still cry every day and I miss her every second of every day.
RIP Kiki
We will fly together one day baby

[robertortega]

My beautiful wife passed away 1 week ago she just turned 50 we were married for 29 years I miss her so much she was also my best friend

[pamelabartelle]

My beloved husband passed on 3-13-2024 from cancer! I was right there with him and holding his hand when he took his last breath, just him & I at home, I was at peace & held him & kissed him & begin to pray! After the memorial service which was beautiful, I’ve cried for 4 months & then on July 17th I cried no more, so I thought! 6 days later, grief hit me hard n swift! I have begin to learn grief comes when it want too and you just let it come n embrace it! May God bless us all in our time of sorrow!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[robinhiltz]

My mom died November 18, 2018 and my grief still goes on. RIP

[nancydaily]

High school sweethearts- dated 4 years through high school, married 42 years, 5 sons and 13 grandchildren later and I am lost without him. I just never feel right anywhere I go. I feel so alone, even when with family, friends, church. I am not the same person. I will always be different. I don't know who I am anymore. I was privileged to be his caregiver for 16 months while he fought stage 4 lymphoma. I am so proud of the way that man fought, with everything he had, to beat it. I lost him Aug. 27th, 2020. I will always be so grateful he chose me to spend life with and how he taught me how to love. I miss you so much, at times, the pain is unbearable. I still feel numb most times. My mind doesn't work well yet. I am waiting to be able to cope. I miss you so terribly sweetheart! Thank you Tanya Villanueva Tepper for putting words to so many feelings.I pray the right people see this and know what NOT to say. God bless

[joshuabensolomon]

I lost my partner July 2019. I watched this whole video crying because every word went through me. We both were just 22. I just turned 23, we were supposed to see 23 together.

[Lena-yjil]

After the death of my mother I felt empty for a veryyyy long time. Half of me left with her forever ....

[Rooster]

The last 4 minutes of this video, nailed it down for me.
I lost my Wife of 53 years yesterday.
During our time together she taught me how to love.
She taught me to love others by her example of loving others.
That powerful force of love will bind us together forever.

[Mindy]

Sharing is so hard because no one knows how it feels. I just feel like I am a ship that has lost the engine and the ruder. It has been 8 days and we had been married for 25 years.

[HugoTorontian]

Today a year ago i buried my mom. It hurts so deep. God had sostained me and i will continue seeking refuge in him.

Now more than ever, i treasure my mom's advise, wisdom and love

[barron]

Lost my Wife 10 Months ago - it's killing me - my Soul Bleeds everyday of my Life.