Sooner or later, we will all experience the death of a loved one, a separation, or another irreversible life change. Grief and the pain associated with loss are universal experiences. In fact, experts believe that even some animals experience and express grief by clearly exhibiting mourning behaviors (King, 2016). Yet grief is often misunderstood, treated as a phase that must be resolved quickly, and seen as an issue to be solved - even medicated - if necessary. But luckily, advocates from different backgrounds are leading a movement to normalize grief, free of expectations and timelines. Two of these pioneers are Brennan Wood, executive director of the Dougy Center, and Mary Frances O’Connor, psychologist, neuroscientist, and professor at the University of Arizona.

Death is often described as the great equalizer. Regardless of wealth, status, nationality, or race, every human life eventually ends. Yet history demonstrates that death has never been experienced equally. Racism has influenced who is exposed to premature death, whose death is treated as acceptable, whose grief receives public sympathy, and whose remains are allowed to rest with dignity.

Death is a universal human experience, yet access to funeral services is strongly influenced by social and economic disparities.