Wakanda Forever: Lessons On Grief We Can Learn From Black Panther
In the past few months, I’ve seen a lot of people online talking about how Black Panther is a beautiful representation of grief and loss. And it’s true: not only does Black Panther have characters who are grieving, but the film also explores how grief affects us in different ways. In this post, we’ll take a look at some specific lessons on grief that we can learn from Black Panther—and why they’re important for anyone who’s lost someone they love.
Life after loss is always difficult.
You’ve seen the movie, and you know that loss is a central theme. On one level, it’s about what happens to Wakanda when T’Challa disappears. But on a more personal level, it’s about how people react to the death of their king.
You may have experienced grief yourself—if not personally, then at least through your friends or family members as they mourned for lost loved ones. The pain of losing someone special can be paralyzing; it can affect every aspect of your life and make you wonder if anything will ever feel normal again. You might even feel like there’s no point in living anymore because nothing will ever be good enough without them there with you now gone forever from this world forevermore!
Support, not judgment, is the most important thing we can give someone who’s grieving.
The most important thing we can do to support someone who is grieving is to listen and not interrupt. Don’t ask questions, let the person talk. Don’t be afraid to cry with them and don’t say things like “you’re young, you’ll get over it, or “it’s a blessing in disguise.”
There are many ways we can support someone who is grieving. We might bring over a meal, offer to run errands for them, or even just sit with them for a while and listen.
If you are grieving, know that you are not alone. There are many people who care about you and want to be there for you during this difficult time. If you feel comfortable doing so, it may be helpful to talk with a trusted family member or friend about what happened and how it makes you feel.
Sometimes it’s OK to just sit in pain.
Grief is a process. You don’t just get over something like the death of a loved one, it takes time and energy to move through that pain. Sometimes you might think that if you can just keep yourself busy enough, or distracted enough, then the pain will go away more quickly. But that’s not always true—in fact, sometimes trying to rush through the grieving process can actually prolong it instead of making it easier to heal.
So what do we do when we’re stuck in a place where we want desperately to move on but feel powerless? Well…we sit with ourselves, of course! You’ll be surprised at how much better this makes things feel: when you take some time to really reflect on your feelings and accept them fully without judgement or criticism from yourself (or others), they become less painful over time and become an ally instead of an enemy or obstacle in your path forward.
The process of grief and loss isn’t linear.
The process of grief and loss isn’t linear. It’s OK to feel angry, sad and happy at the same time. It’s OK to feel like you’re drowning in grief sometimes. There are no right or wrong ways to grieve, and everyone experiences loss differently. You might find yourself getting angry with your loved one before they’ve even passed away (if they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness). Or maybe your first reaction is sadness when you remember that this person was once healthy and full of life. At other times it can seem like there’s nothing left inside of you—no feelings at all—when in reality there may just be too much emotion for one moment; sometimes all you need is some quiet time alone so that these emotions can settle down into something manageable again.
Grief is complicated and a reminder that no one’s experience with loss is the same.
Grief is a process. One that cannot be rushed and often takes people on different journeys. It’s a reminder of how tricky it can be to speak about death, loss, and grief with others because no one’s experience with loss is the same.
You can’t tell someone how to grieve. You might think you know what they’re going through or you can anticipate what will happen next in their journey of healing—but if someone is grieving, they’re still experiencing their own unique journey and that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll follow any sort of linear pattern (or even make sense).
It’s important to remember that grief isn’t always straightforward; sometimes it comes in waves with periods of calm between them; other times those waves are more like tsunamis crashing over your head at once (which could lead you feeling like there will never be an end).
Conclusion
In the film, the characters are faced with losing someone that they care about deeply. From this, we can learn that loss is a part of life and there are many ways to cope with it. The way you cope should be up to you and your own personal needs at the time, but there are some general lessons in grief that can help anyone through a difficult time:
Be open if others want to talk about their losses too; it’s okay not to be okay sometimes. Don’t judge yourself based on others’ reactions – everyone grieves differently so respect their process even if it seems different than yours (or even if it doesn’t). Remember those things that brought happiness before – these positive memories will help keep hope alive during difficult times ahead! Contact us at Revive Therapeutic Services for assistance in processing grief therapy.