Resolution
This is the stage when the bereaved come to terms with, accept and adapt to the loss. They may still feel pangs of grief prompted by a photograph or a particular memory, but can begin to enjoy good memories too. In no sense is the loved one now forgotten, but the pain has lessened.
Bereavement is not as tidy as these steps suggest, because the reactions of human beings are complex. But one thing is certain: if we were newly bereaved and went to sleep for two years, we wouldn’t wake up to find ourselves in the resolution stage without having passed through the pain of the others. Time by itself that is the great healer, but the passing of time brings the opportunity to grieve and come through the ordeal.
