Language is powerful, which is why a mantra or quote can be an effective way to navigate the challenges of losing a loved one. Grief quotes are more than words – these death grief quotes can serve many purposes:

 

  • Identify thoughts or feelings
  • Describing your experience to others
  • Conveying a message about how you feel about someone
  • Finding a sense of community with others

 

As you read this list of grief quotes, look for the messages that resonate with you. Not only can you use these quotes to support your own healing process, but share this link with friends and family who are also processing their grief and loss.

 

Quotes About Losing a Loved One

Losing a loved one is often a pivotal moment in life – you will always look back on this experience as a point where your perspective, priorities, and lifestyle changed. Honoring your grief when losing a loved one is an essential step to finding healing in your experiences.

 

“Hope

Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,

Whispering ‘It will be happier’…”

-Alfred Tennyson

 

“I will not say: Do not weep; For not all tears are evil.” -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

 

Quotes About Grief and Loss

Loss and grief intertwine intricately. Often, it’s hard to identify where your feelings of grief end and the emotions of loss begin. Embrace these grief quotes to support your journey through both grief and loss:

 

“I answer the heroic question ‘Death, where is thy sting?’ with ‘It is here in my heart and mind and memories.'” -Maya Angelou, When I Think of Death

 

“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” -C.S. Lewis

 

“She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with It as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts.” -George Eliot

 

5 Stages of Grief: How to Cope with the Loss of a Loved One

 

Sudden Death Grief Quotes

The traumatic moment of a sudden death can have a lasting impact on family and friends. Not only are you working through normal grief, but a death suddenly rips away the reality of your life. These grief quotes can help you navigate this challenging experience when an unexpected death occurs.

 

“It takes strength to make your way through grief, to grab hold of life and let it pull you forward.” -Patti Davis

 

“Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.” -C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

 

“An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.” -Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

 

Death Grief Quotes

What is your perspective about death and grief? These quotes might help you find clarity and purpose in your grieving experience.

“Ain’t no shame in holding on to grief… as long as you make room for other things too.” -“Bubbles,” The Wire

 

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” -Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

 

“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” -Kenji Miyazawa

 

Healing Grief Quotes

Time is the ultimate healer of grief. By embracing the cycles of grief and honoring your emotions, it’s possible to heal from the pain and loss. These healing quotes send a message of brighter days ahead. With the right perspective, it’s possible to see that life continues after losing a loved one.

 

“Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone.” -Rodgers and Hammerstein, Carousel

 

“I’ll be seeing you

In all the old familiar places

That this heart of mine embraces

All day through.”

- Billie Holiday, I’ll Be Seeing You

 

Uplifting Grief Quotes

When the grief feels heavy, and you are trying to make it through the day, uplifting grief quotes can be the perfect solution to refocus your perspective. These words of encouragement help you navigate this new experience, making it possible to find a renewed sense of hope amidst the pain.

 

“At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer, we remember them.” -Sylvan Kamens & Rabbi Jack Reimer

 

“If there ever comes a day where we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever." -A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

 

“Death doesn’t conquer all; love does. Love wins every single time. Love wins by lasting through death. Love wins by loving more, loving again, loving without fear.” -Kate O'Neill

 

Positive Grief Quotes

Some people find it helpful to reframe their pain and loss into a brighter perspective. While positive grief quotes don’t take away the emotional anguish, they offer an opportunity to infuse your thoughts with a better outlook.

 

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” -Thomas Campbell

 

“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.” -Helen Keller

 

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.“ -Kahlil Gibran

 

Mourning Quotes

During certain stages of grief, leaning into the emotion is one of the most important things you can do to heal. These mourning quotes bring the feelings of grief and loss to the surface, helping you process the pain and acknowledge the loss you are experiencing.

 

“Where you used to be,

there is a hole in the world,

which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime,

and falling in at night.”

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

 

“On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend's life also, in our own, to the world.” -Henry David Thoreau

 

11 Great Tips for How to Support Someone Who Is Grieving

 

How to Use Grief Quotes

If you find a grief quote that resonates with your current experience, it might be helpful to write it on a Post-it note, save it on your phone, or journal your thoughts and feelings about the quote. There isn’t a right or wrong way to use grief quotes. Instead, let the words guide your emotions and healing, giving you an anchor to turn to through the ups-and-downs of the healing process.