Beyond a Day

Why the Grief Heart Project Is Everyday Grief Awareness

I only just learned there’s a National Grief Awareness Day—and honestly, I’m glad it exists. Its purpose is brave and straightforward: to encourage honest conversations about grief, a topic many of us are taught to tiptoe around. That mission is precisely what the Grief Heart Project is designed for, AND not just once a year. The Grief Heart is the everyday version of that invitation.

Grief doesn’t live on a single square of the calendar. It shows up on Tuesdays at the grocery store, on quiet Sundays, on birthdays and not-birthdays, in the weird places where a song or smell or memory brushes past us. It’s personal and ongoing, and most of the time it’s invisible. What we’re missing isn’t awareness for a day; it’s gentle, repeatable ways to make grief visible and ways that feel safe for the person grieving and welcoming for the people who want to show up.

That’s the gap the Grief Heart tries to fill. It’s a small cracked-heart symbol with flowers growing through the breaks—because love doesn’t stop at the edge of loss, and beauty can coexist with ache. When you wear or share the heart, you’re saying, “I’m remembering someone today.” It’s a simple cue that does two big things at once:

1. It gives the griever micro-permission to speak if they want to.
   
2. It gives friends and community a straightforward way to respond with care.

No scripts required. No perfect timing needed. Just a little signal that opens the door.

The project turns “awareness” into a practice. You can pin the heart to your shirt, add it to your profile, drop it in a comment, stick a magnet on your fridge, or print a little card to keep in your wallet. You can use it on the hardest days, the ordinary days, or the days when you’re not sure what you feel—only that your person is on your mind. On Wednesdays, we do #WearYourHeartWednesday to build a weekly rhythm—because repetition makes room. But the heart works on any day that ends in “day.”

And the Grief Heart isn’t only for those who’ve lost someone—it’s equally for supporters. Most people want to help but worry they’ll “say the wrong thing.” The heart lowers the temperature of that fear. If you see it, you can respond simply: “I’m with you,” “I’d love to hear about them,” or “I can offer A or B—no pressure.” The symbol itself serves as a conversation starter, so you don’t have to.

Another way the project makes awareness practical is through choice. Some days you might want to tell stories. On other days, you might wish to be quiet. The heart is flexible; companion phrases like “Ask me About Them” or “Be Gentle with me Today” allow people to communicate their comfort levels without a speech. That’s part of why this works daily, because grief is not the same every time it knocks.

National Grief Awareness Day reminds us to discuss grief openly. The Grief Heart Project gives us tools to keep talking—not just when the world is paying attention, but when the world has moved on and we still need to speak our person’s name. It’s awareness that meets you at the kitchen sink, at the school pickup line, at work, on a walk, at a community event. It turns a big idea into small, human actions.

Here’s what “everyday awareness” looks like in practice:

• You post the heart and write your person’s name. Two friends reply with memories. Now there are three hearts on the page.
  
• You wear the pin to the farmers’ market. One vendor notices and says, “Tell me about them.” You share one favorite thing, and both of you leave a little more connected.
  
• A supporter DMs a grieving friend the heart with a note: “I’m thinking of you today. Want company for a walk, or would you prefer a check-in text later?”
  
• On a tender anniversary, you put the heart on your dashboard and permit yourself to cry at a stoplight—and permission to laugh five minutes later. Both are welcome.
  

We don’t need a perfect speech to talk about grief. We need a tiny, respectful bridge between what we feel and what we can say. That’s what the Grief Heart tries to be. It’s an everyday symbol that normalizes remembering, invites conversation, and reminds us we belong to one another—even in loss.

So yes, I’m grateful for a day that says “let’s be brave and honest.” And I’m equally committed to making sure the permission doesn’t expire at midnight. If this resonates, join us any time: wear or share the heart, say your person’s name, ask someone about theirs, and let presence be the gift—awareness matters. Daily care changes lives.

So yes, I’m grateful for a day that reminds us to talk about grief; I just don’t want the permission to disappear when the date changes. The Grief Heart is how I keep it going.  If this resonates, join us anytime: wear it, post it, say your person’s name, or ask someone about theirs.