Letting Go

Damon was grieving in his own way -- drinking at Alaric's grave and doing a lengthy monologue. 

Damon : "Floating lanterns in the sky. Can you believe them? Japanese lanterns are a symbol of letting go of the past. Well, here’s a news flash: We’re not Japanese. You know what they are? Children. Like lighting a candle's gonna make everything okay, or even saying a prayer, or pretending Elena's not gonna end up just like the rest of us murderous vampires. Stupid, delusional, exasperating little children. I know what you're gonna say: makes them feel better, Damon. So what? For how long? A minute? A day? What difference does it make? Because in the end, when you lose somebody, every candle, every prayer [ghost Alaric sitting in the graveyard] is not gonna make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be and a rock with a birth date carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong. [Alaric laughs.] So, thanks, friend. Thanks for leaving me here to babysit, because I should be long gone by now. I didn't get the girl, remember? I'm just stuck here fighting with my brother and taking care of the kids. You owe me big."

Alaric : "I miss you, too, buddy."

-- The Vampire Diaries

Season 4 episode 2: "The Memorial"