Put simply; grief is an emotion that comes about when we feel any significant loss. It is mostly associated with bereavement, but people feel the symptoms of grief for all sorts of other reasons. A good example can be the sort of grieving that goes on after a relationship breakdown or when an adult child leaves the family home for the first time. There again, some people will grieve for a friend who moves away or for a job they no longer hold down that had provided a sense of fulfilment. Therefore, for grief to come about, the loss involved must be more significant to an individual. When we feel bonded at an emotional level – whether that is to a person, a pet, a building or even a situation – loss will be significant, and that means grief is likely to be the outcome.
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To many people, the purpose of life is very clear. It has been laid out clearly either by their parents, teachers or religious leaders. For others, it is much harder to work out. In fact, many philosophers have argued for centuries about what the true purpose of life is. There is a distinction between what the purpose of any life is and what it means to an individual, of course. Some people believe they have found a purpose in their life if, for example, they do a job that they find fulfilling. To others, the purpose of all human life is to work towards a higher purpose that is bigger than any individual. Broadly speaking, the latter is a spiritual interpretation of a life's purpose.