What Offspring got so right about grief.

They say that no two people are the same and that couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to experiencing grief.

Grief like many things in life comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be smack you in the face confronting or it can eat away at you like a parasite brought home from a foreign country. Either way it sucks. Either way it hurts more than words can describe. Either way it is inescapably personal.

The one thing that can be confidently said about grief is that no matter how you wear it, it bloody hurts. Rip your heart out and spit on your face hurts.

"Rip your heart out and spit on your face hurts." Image via Channel 10. 

So last night when Offspring beautifully conveyed the different grieving journeys of the Proudman family and friends, it was beautiful, raw, confronting and oh so real. I found myself involuntarily smiling whilst tears silently slid down my face - much to confusion and entertainment of my husband.

Offspring showed Australia that it's okay to grieve in the moment, as Jimmy did. That it's okay to channel energy into work and planning, as Nina did. That it's okay to not comprehend it initially and for it to hit you like a freight train when you least expect it, as Billie did.

Perhaps some would suggest that the writers of Offspring made a brave decision to portray such profoundly different journeys.

Some may even have questioned the initial reactions of Billie and Nina, but they couldn't have been more perfect.

The most important thing about grief is that people are there to help pick up the pieces, to help sort out the mess or to sort out your frog eyes in the case of Billie.

Billie's birthday was the first big family event since Darcy's death. Post continues below. 

Grief can bring loved ones together or it can drive a wedge between them. Grief can make work, study or lifestyle pressures seem unbearable. But as you begin to poke through the other side, as you dip your toe into life with one less, there undefeated in the light often stands relationships that are strengthened by the shared experience.

Offspring, to their credit, showed this too. Jimmy and Zara rediscovered their love for one another in a touching moment of clarity, Clegg and Cherie realised that there is more to a relationship than ‘rip your clothes off do it now’ sexual intimacy and Geraldine realised that 'family' are the glue that holds us all together no matter how frustrating or painful they can be.

Last night's episode of Offspring made sense for a lot of reasons, but most poignantly and impressively its portrayal of grief was captivating and raw and I have no doubt that this would have resonated with a lot of people for all the right reasons.

For more from Tess Farry, you can visit her blog Teacher Turned Dreamer, or follow her on Instagram @teacherturneddreamer.