People come to terms with death in different ways. There is no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to feeling your own emotions and understanding your unique experience. For some, creating and sharing memes around grief and death is one of the best ways to come to grips with your own mortality.
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While it might sound morbid to share death and funeral memes, it all comes from a place of shared experience. Death is something everyone will encounter at some point and making jokes about it can be an effective way to cope.
Just as people share quotes about grief online as a form of support, these popular memes about grief and coping with death might help you find your own healing. How do you express your grief to loved ones in your life?
Funny Grief Memes
Not all grief memes are depressing and sad. In fact, some are downright hilarious. These are some of the most laugh-out-loud grief memes on the internet.
1. Avoidance
One of the most common ways to deal with grief is to avoid it altogether. The Instagram account @GriefMemes shares how, though this can be toxic, it’s also okay to poke fun at it sometimes. The meme includes a screenshot from the children’s show Phineas and Ferb in which one character describes avoiding grief by doing nothing.
2. “I love suffering”
Remembering the good times you’ve had with a deceased loved one is one of the best ways to keep their memory alive. In this Spongebob meme from Instagram user @TheDeadDadzClub, the joke is that those happy memories and mementos bring on strong emotions.
3. “Create an emotional breakdown”
Sometimes it helps to plan for emotional releases when you’re going through a wave of grief. Expressing these feelings can be therapeutic, and it’s certainly “valid.” In this Instagram meme from @varsitygriefsquad, there’s a reminder that it’s okay to have a breakdown if you need to.
4. Movie scenes
Encountering moments in life that trigger grief is one of the biggest challenges of losing someone. In this meme from Instagram user @GriefMemesforBereaved, movies are revealed as one of the biggest grief triggers.
5. Healthy coping mechanisms
We can all admit to not always having the best ways of coping with life’s challenges. Grief can make it difficult to take care of ourselves, and this Spongebob meme from @Beesdyingalarmingrate on Instagram really says it best.
6. “I’m so random”
Mental breakdowns aren’t always a bad thing, especially when you’re coping with grief. That being said, our responses to them might not always be the healthiest. This meme from Twitter user @Jacbo highlights the awkwardness that can happen after having a breakdown.
7. “I’m fine.”
It’s always easier to say you’re ‘fine,’ even if that’s the furthest thing from the truth. However, as this meme posted by @Buzzfeed points out, that doesn’t always mean people believe you. The therapist’s look from Mean Girls is really all you need to know.
8. “It’s me, ya boy.”
Grief brings along anxiety and depression, and these can become constant companions if you’re not careful. This Dopl3r meme uses a screenshot from a ghost-hunting show to reveal just how ‘haunting’ these experiences can be—and also how we get so used to them in our lives.
9. “Major depressive episode”
Like a TV show on autoplay, sometimes you can’t stop the wave of grief and depression when the time comes. Though you might feel better in small moments, those feelings of sadness often come whether we want them to or not. Tumblr user @PettyQueer jokes that this is like a new episode playing without consent.
10. “You ain’t special”
One of the most memorable parts of grief is the feeling of being hollow and empty. Though you’ve lost a part of yourself, you’re still forced to keep living and go on with life. Just as this tree shared by user @Necromancing on Twitter is “hollow but very much alive,” so are those going through grief and loss.
Sad Grief Memes
Just as people say RIP In Peace to pay respects online, they also sometimes share nuggets of sad truths in their memes. These can be difficult to read, especially if you’re currently going through a loss, but they can also be healing. It’s always good to know you’re not alone, even on your darkest days.
11. Iceberg of grief
Artist @GlitterandGrief on Instagram shares grief tips and experiences to followers going through similar experiences. In this meme, users see the “iceberg” of grief. Though everything might look great on the outside, grief and sorrow can lurk below the surface.
12. “Grieving is not linear”
In another meme from @VarsityGriefSquad, we get an important reminder that healing is not linear. There is no single path through grief. It’s something each person must work through on his or her own time at a unique pace.
13. “But I still work”
Losing a loved one can make it feel like your inner light and drive have gone out. Though life might feel dimmer, you still “work.” Twitter user @Pramas compares this broken vending machine to the experience of going through a difficult time. The light might be out, but you’re still human. You can still persevere.
14. Start crying
Crying can be a strong emotional release, helping us cope with feelings too deep to process. In this meme from The Good Place, Twitter user @nocontextgp shares how one character just really wants to cry. Sometimes that can be a blessing in disguise, especially if you’re coping with a loss.
15. “Make time for yourself”
Making time for yourself and your grief is important. However, that time doesn’t always look like the perfect image of self-care and wellness. Sometimes it means giving yourself permission to fall apart and heal on your own terms, as Twitter user @tristehomo shares with this meme.
16. “Starts crying”
Crying can sometimes be out of our control, especially when we’re in a safe place with our grief. For someone seeing a therapist regularly, expressing these feelings with the help of a professional can be a cure in itself. Twitter user @FruitJuicedMouf describes this in her own words.
Healing Through Memes
While memes aren’t likely to drastically change the world, they do show the innate human need to connect and come together. Humor is a tool for communication, and it’s not always easy to talk frankly about experiences like grief and loss. Instead, using memes offers a safe, constructive space to share these feelings without the worry of pushback.
Whether you create memes of your own or share your favorites, there’s no denying this is the language of the internet. As memes become more popular amongst all generations, we’ll continue to see the way we express ourselves develop along with them.