There are no strict rules about grief, and not everyone experiences an overwhelming amount of sadness on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. Feelings of sadness may come back around the anniversary of the loved one’s death, or other special days, throughout the year. Even after the fact that it is been a year, or even a few years, the feelings of sadness might increase during the anniversary of your loved one’s death, as well as on the days surrounding that date. You might find that scheduling time on the day to reflect, reminisce, read, journal, exercise, or de-stress is helpful; do what feels right for you.

Another nice idea is to take your loved one’s death anniversary and do something that your deceased spouse loved, as a way of being in touch. People can choose to spend a death anniversary doing things that their loved one loved, or sharing memories with others who knew the person who died. Some may have very specific ideas on how the deceased person should be honored and how many years of anniversary to honor.