When Spring Hurts: Navigating Grief During Seasonal Transitions

When Spring Hurts: Navigating Grief During Seasonal Transitions

How the return of light, memories, and new routines can stir sorrow — and ways to move gently toward healing.

 

As we prepare to “spring forward” here in Alberta, the shift into longer days and brighter skies can feel like a welcome change. Spring brings more daylight, those rich blue prairie skies, and the first brave blossoms pushing their way through the soil. For many, it’s a season of renewal and fresh energy.

But for those who are grieving the loss of someone they love, spring can also be incredibly tender.

The change of seasons—especially after a death—can bring a renewed awareness of absence. While the world feels like it’s waking up, you may feel a fresh wave of grief. If you’re experiencing grief in the spring, please know this: you are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with you.

Why Spring Can Trigger Grief

Grief is not linear, and it doesn’t follow a calendar. However, seasonal changes often act as emotional markers. The first spring after a loss can be especially painful. Even the second or third can stir up memories you thought had softened.

Spring is filled with rituals and routines. Maybe it was the time you and your loved one started planting the garden. Perhaps you pulled the trailer out for the first camping trip of the year. Or maybe you simply enjoyed evening walks together once the sidewalks were clear of ice (especialy this year).

When those familiar spring moments return, they can hit hard. Many people describe seasonal grief as a “gut punch” or an emotional wave that seems to come out of nowhere. One moment you’re enjoying the sunshine; the next, you’re overwhelmed with longing.

Understanding that grief in spring is common can help you prepare for it. Awareness gives you permission to be gentle with yourself.

Mourning Takes Time — At Least Two Seasonal Cycles

In my work alongside many Indigenous communities, I’ve learned a powerful teaching: mourning takes at least two full cycles of the seasons. Not weeks. Not a few months. Two full years of spring, summer, fall, and winter.

There is also a teaching that if one cuts their braid, it takes about two years for it to grow long enough to braid again. That regrowth marks the end of mourning—but not necessarily the end of grief. Grief does not simply disappear. Instead, it changes. It becomes woven into your life story.

This perspective is deeply validating for anyone who feels pressure to “be over it” after a year. The truth is, your body and heart need to experience each season at least twice without your loved one physically present. The first time is survival. The second time is learning how to live within a new reality.

Allowing Grief Instead of Avoiding It

When painful spring memories surface, it’s natural to want to push them away. Many people try to distract themselves, stay busy, or “box up” their feelings. In the short term, that might help you get through the day.

But avoiding grief often delays healing.

Grief educator Alan Wolfelt speaks about shifting the relationship from one of physical presence to one of memory. That shift is part of healthy mourning. It doesn’t mean letting go of love. It means learning how to carry your loved one differently.

Allowing yourself to feel sadness, loneliness, or even anger as spring unfolds is not weakness—it is the work of grief. When you make space for your emotions instead of resisting them, you slowly begin to integrate the loss into your life.

If you notice heightened emotions during seasonal transitions, try to:

• Lower expectations of yourself.
• Build in extra rest.
• Spend time in supportive spaces.
• Talk openly about your loved one.

These small acts of self-compassion can make a meaningful difference.

Supporting Someone Grieving This Spring

If you are walking alongside someone who is grieving, your presence matters more than your words. Seasonal grief can catch people off guard. They may have seemed “better” in the winter and now appear to be struggling again.

This is normal.

Be patient. Be kind. Avoid rushing them toward positivity. Sometimes the greatest gift you can offer is simply to sit quietly and be present. You don’t need perfect words. Consistent, compassionate support is enough.

Finding Gentle Gratitude Alongside Grief

One of the most powerful truths I witness again and again is the resilience of the human spirit. Healing rarely looks dramatic. More often, it shows up in the smallest steps forward.

Gratitude does not cancel out grief—but it can coexist with it.

As spring arrives in Alberta, you might gently notice:

• The increased warmth of the sun on your face.
• A single crocus pushing through the ground.
• The relief of clear sidewalks after a long winter.
• The sound of birds returning.

These moments don’t erase your loss. They simply remind you that beauty and sorrow can live side by side.

Spending time in nature during grief can be especially restorative. Even a short walk outside can help regulate your nervous system and provide a small sense of steadiness.

Be Patient With Yourself This Season

If spring feels heavier than you expected, give yourself grace. Mourning takes time—often more time than our culture acknowledges. At least two full cycles of the seasons, and sometimes many more.

Let the memories come. Let the tears come if they need to. And also allow small moments of warmth and light to reach you.

Grief changes shape over time. While the pain may never fully disappear, it can become something you carry with greater tenderness and strength.

As this new season unfolds, may you move through it at your own pace. Be gentle with your heart. Spring will return again next year—and with each cycle, you may find that you are slowly, quietly healing.