The five stages of grief are the framework that humans use to cope with the loss of something. These stages include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As unexpected as it may be sometimes, loss can be experienced by people from all walks of life.
Now, let’s recap your day — you failed your exam, got drenched by a car driving through a puddle, and someone stole your headphones. You may have to chalk today up as a fail. The only thing that has kept you sane is knowing that there is leftover pizza waiting for you at home. Just three blocks, two flights of stairs, and one refrigerator door between you and your savior.
You rip open the fridge only to find that it’s not there. What? How can that be? Well, okay no need to panic yet. It has to be around here somewhere. Then that’s when you see it: the pizza box in the garbage.
Stage 1: Denial
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No. There’s no way. That’s not your pizza box. It may have your name on it, and it’s in the garbage, and there’s no pizza left but its definitely not yours. You check the fridge again, thinking you probably weren’t looking hard enough. Just pull everything out of the fridge really quick to make sure because you are in disapproval that your beloved cuisine is gone.
Stage 2: Anger
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Seriously?! Who did this? It was Karen. She is so going to owe you for life. This pizza was the only thing you had going for you right now and she took it all away. Be ready Karen, this angry but slightly passive aggressive text has a one-way ticket to your iPhone. You’re so mad that you could punch a wall. But you won’t because you’re a kind, classy lady/gentleman.
Stage 3: Bargaining
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You’ll do anything in your willpower in order to get that cheesy goodness back into your life. What if you never skip class again? You could…um…read to children? Volunteer? *peeks over to see if pizza magically appears* Well, you gave it your all.
Stage 4: Depression
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After realizing that bargaining your way through your loss isn’t going to bring back your pizza, you’re depressed. It’s like you’ve been stabbed in the heart and you can’t remember what your life was even like before this. How can you go on? Who can you even count on anymore? You feel like there is no cure to how you’re feeling so you just lay here in my dimly lit room, listen to Adele, and silently (audibly) cry. Maybe you’ll call my mom too. “Hello, it’s me…”
Stage 5: Acceptance
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Although you may never feel “OK” with your loss, you learn that life goes on. There are other pizzas out there that you can adore just as much as your pizza that was so brutally taken from you. Wait, did someone say there’s free pizza at the IMU?