How long does grief last?
Many people find that:

• grief comes and goes in waves for a long time
• the intense feelings may begin to ease a little after the first year
• coping gets easier over time and confidence begins to return
• they slowly begin to develop new interests and find that life starts to have some meaning again
• it may take a long time to go back to some places or do the things they used to do before the person died
• although they can manage to have a new and full life, it may take years before they feel they can be fully themselves without the person who died
• even when they thought they were over their grief, feelings may be triggered by memories of such things as places, songs, movies, poems, even smells.
• they never forget the person
• they never stop loving the person.
• they carry the memory of the person with them throughout their lives.