11/01/2026
November is Sibling Bereavement Month.
When we lost my brother, I saw the impact his death had on absolutely everyone who loved him. His children, his wife, our family, his friends. Every single person who had a place for him in their life. We all lost someone who meant something different to us, and every one of those losses mattered.
But losing a sibling was something I was never prepared for. I don’t think anyone ever really is. It’s just not the way things are supposed to be. You’re supposed to grow old together. You’re supposed to have more stories, more arguments, more laughs, more memories. You’re not supposed to have to figure out how to live the rest of your life without them.
My brother was always so much more than just my brother. Growing up, he was the man in our lives until my stepdad came along. He was our protector. He was the jerk who could aggravate the absolute hell out of you, lol. And he was also the one who would chase you down just to give you a hug. That was him. All of it. And I would give anything to have every bit of it back.
I miss him every single day.
I think sibling grief is one of those losses that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. So much attention understandably goes to the spouse, the children, the parents. But somewhere in all of that is a brother or sister who just lost someone who has been part of their entire story. Someone who knew them before so much of life happened. Someone who shared a childhood, a home, memories, and a version of life that nobody else will ever fully understand.
And suddenly, that person is gone.
Grief isn’t talked about enough. Not the real, messy, heartbreaking parts of it. Not how you can be doing perfectly fine one minute and completely fall apart the next. Not how the world keeps moving while a part of yours feels like it stopped.
Losing my brother changed me. It’s a loss I will carry for the rest of my life, because he wasn’t just part of my childhood. He was part of me.
So this November, I want to acknowledge every person living with the loss of a brother or sister. Your grief matters too. Your relationship mattered. And no matter how many years pass, missing them doesn’t have an expiration date.
I will spend the rest of my life wishing I had just one more hug from mine.