Meet Aracely Perez, Gloves for Grief Board Member

My name is Aracely. I’m just a girl navigating through life the best way she can, looking for the joys of life through a different lens. 

Since I was a young girl, I knew I wanted to work with children. My path took different directions until I got to college. I hold a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Early Childhood Education. I am currently a school teacher and an aspiring psychologist. 

Prior to 2021, death and grief were a foreign concept. Like many other Mexican-American households, grief and death are like Bruno…”We don’t talk about Bruno.” (Disney reference) 

We fell victims of the pandemic. In February of 2021, through complications and lack of resources, we lost our beloved father, grandfather, and husband.  Even though we were all devastated, my family and I knew we had to be strong for our mother. 

But I was only as strong as those surrounding me. One of them being my partner. Neither of us knows how to navigate this process. He listened and was patient while I figured it out. 

Never did I imagine that two years later, I would lose him, too. That I would be here because of him. April of 2023, he passed on, a day his family and I will never forget.  

Consumed with the feeling of “no one understands,” loneliness, and “being a burden to others,” I took a chance and invited my sister’s to join me at a G4G event. I left that first event feeling a little less of a burden and more so validated.  

The emotional and physical connection with grief makes sense.  I hope to punch my grief into purpose by guiding others to this experience.

Both my dad and partner were super athletic, and they shared a passion for sport, specifically soccer. So punching is super fitting and a constant reminder of the two men who will forever hold my heart. 

It will always feel like it wasn’t enough time with your loved one…and it wasn’t.