One of the biggest misconceptions about grief is that it is only results from death. Death-related loss can be profound, but grief itself is much broader than that. Grief is simply our natural response to the loss of someone or something that mattered to us. That can include the loss of a loved one, but it can also include the loss of a relationship, a job, a pet, a role, a sense of identity, daily routines, or a future we expected to have. Grief is a universal process, but it is also deeply individual. Culture, relationships, prior experiences, and the nature of the loss itself all shape how grief unfolds.