Death of a Parent

Finding Joy During the Holidays After Loss When Everything Feels Awful: A message of hope.

My mother died in the middle of the night on January 1, four days before I turned sixteen. I don’t remember much about Christmas the couple weeks before she died, just that we spent a lot of that season in the ICU of the hospital where my mother had birthed my brother and I. For…

Karyn and Aidan – Hospital and the COVID restrictions

Karyn and Aidan talk about the challenges of the restrictions and the impact of COVID patients on John’s care

Matt – Music helped my grief

Matt discusses how creativity and music help his grief. Matt continues to grieve the death of his birth mother.

Karyn and Cathy – “Suicide”

Karyn and Cathy discuss how the stigma of suicide impacted the lack of acknowledgement of their grief and loss. Karyn and Cathy continues to grieve the death of their father by suicide.

Bryan – Empathy for others

Bryan talks about how losing his father to gun violence was difficult and how taking things day by day helped him get through many difficult times. Now he wants to help children who are going through something similar to what he did. Things will get better and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel

Cheryl and Mike – “Their Story”

Cheryl and Mike discuss losing more than one family member. They continue to grieve Cheryl’s father and the death their daughter in a car accident.

Rebecca – Humour and grief

Rebecca talks about how she and her father used humour as a strategy during his illness and after he died

Matt – Wisdom to pass on

Matt offers advice to his younger self about grief. Matt continues to grieve the death of his birth mother.

Kim – Some cry some don’t

Kim discusses how tough COVID made the hospital experience and the support she received

Scott – The grieving process

Scott talks about how his song ‘The Good Man James” was about his father, their relationship and how it helped him process their relationship. Find the song at his website www.dotbmusic.ca

Mary S – Dogs

Mary talks about how special dogs are and how much they helped her grief

Jessica M – Legacy

Jessica explains legacy and gives examples including her own.