Photo: TikTok
There's no wrong way to grieve.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Nov 29, 2022
A woman on TikTok named Gia posted proof that everyone processes their emotions of grief and loss in entirely different — and always acceptable — ways.
Her viral video from over a week ago reached over 1.5 million views and offered her emotional reaction to the awful news of her father’s passing.
Gia claims that in the 40 minutes since her father’s passing, she hasn’t stopped telling jokes.
“My dad died literally like, 40 minutes ago, over there,” she says as she points over at the wall, likely referencing another room, “and the things that I’ve said in the past hour have been ‘this is a certified bruh moment’ and ‘this is fatherless behavior.’”
A text box in the video reads “to be fair I’ve had 7 years to deal with this so we knew this was coming,” but that doesn’t change the fact that when it comes, it’s going to hit you.
Her response to the grief and loss she’s experienced is to tell jokes.
In response to all of the helpful and kind comments she received, she wrote “Thank you guys for your kind words. I’m still in denial I’m just. Seeing him die and watching him get carried out was a lot. He’s not in pain anymore.”
In her previous video, she informed viewers who were “invested in his journey” that things were looking grim, implying that an organ transplant that he needed for his lungs never came.
“I know this seems weird coming from an outsider but he loved the TikToks I made and loved that I spread his story/message,” she wrote. “Love you guys. Become a donor.”
TikTok users shared their reactions in the comments of the viral video.
Many people claimed that using humor as a means to cope with the loss is a completely normal thing, and there was an outpouring of support for her reaction.
Several commenters shared their own thoughts and experiences.
One person wrote, “bro when i was at the hospital and my dad died i was making so many jokes the nurses thought i was crazy.”
“Trust me jokes are the way to go,” wrote someone else. “Mine ghosted 5 years ago, he’s in a box in living room we make ppl say hi to him.”
From time to time, Gia would respond with appreciation for someone’s kind words or offer up laughter at some of the other jokes people told in their moments of grief.
Typically, when people share their responses to loss and moments of grieving through laughter, there are those who disapprove and make their disgust known, but if those people watched Gia’s video, they watched in respectful silence.
“Sending you love. There is no wrong way to cope or to grieve,” one commenter shared, hoping to add some reinforcement to her very normal reaction to the news.
“There is no right way to be when grieving,” another user wrote.
It could be because her father had passed only 40 minutes before the time the video was uploaded, but no one should be told how they should and shouldn’t grieve.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.