In recent weeks, three notable celebrity deaths have occurred: Malcolm-Jamal Warner of "The Cosby Show," Ozzy Osbourne of the band Black Sabbath, and Hulk Hogan of professional wrestling fame. This brings up a universal question about a universal experience: How do we cope when a public figure we admire passes away?

While it can feel jarring when any person who has been omnipresent in our lives dies, the death of a beloved public figure triggers a unique type of grief. To navigate it, it's important to find meaning and gratitude for what the celebrity or public figure has contributed to our lives.

It may seem strange to grieve someone we did not actually know on a personal level, but public figures such as actors, musicians, politicians, artists, and athletes often play a large role in our lives: They are part of the backdrop of our daily existence, and they inspire and entertain us. Thus, losing them can feel like we are losing a part of ourselves.

This is a somewhat unique presentation of grief, as traditional diagnostic explanations classify grief as typically having to do with the loss of an immediate loved one. But there is, without question, a grief........

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