Death of a Parent

Reflections on Mother’s Day

May 8, 2023

Mother’s day is a holiday where we show appreciation and care for the maternal roles in our lives. However, this holiday can feel very overwhelming for those of us who are grieving the death of a mother figure, a mother grieving their child, or those of us grieving the loss of not being able to become mothers ourselves.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Death of a Child / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / Perinatal

Caileigh – Recommendations as a therapist and a griever

February 22, 2023

Caileigh discussed two recommendations for parents on how to support their child’s grief. as a therapist and a griever. The first is to recognize that being with is far more important than fixing. There’s two pieces to connection. The first being that one of the most important healing aspects to grief is feeling connected to others.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video

Margaux – “It never really hit me at one moment”

December 16, 2018

Margaux describes the experience of gradually processing her grief through individual and group therapy. Margaux continues to grieve the death of her mother from breast cancer.

Death of a Parent / Video

Matt – Grief changes

July 16, 2020

Matt explains how he deals with his grief. Matt continues to grieve the death of his birth mother.

Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / Video

Antoinetta – Story

January 26, 2023

Antoinetta tells her story of grief and her father getting lung cancer

Death of a Parent / My Story Video / Video

Jackie – Finger painting and grief

March 6, 2022

Jackie discusses how finger painting help her with her feelings while she was grieving the loss of her mother and sister

Art / Death of a Parent / Death of a Sibling / Video

Rebecca – Humour and grief

September 4, 2020

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

Death of a Parent / Video

Holly – Singing in the last days

March 7, 2021

Holly talks about her partner’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the pandemic, their decisions, faith and how singing

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of a Parent / Music / Video

KIm – Planning a funeral in the pandemic

March 5, 2022

Kim explains the ups and downs of planning a funeral during the pandemic

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of a Parent / Video

Keeping Records

November 17, 2023

I pulled the photos out of their envelope one at a time, turning over each one to carefully record the date, place, and people in the photo. Sometimes, I included comments. “Apple picking in Hamilton with Pop Pop, Fall, 2023. You loved the wagon ride!”. I slipped each picture into an empty pocket in my son’s photo album.

Blog Post / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever

Kim – Support at the hospital

March 5, 2022

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

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of a Parent / Video

Karyn and Cathy – “Suicide”

July 19, 2020

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.

Death of a Parent / Grief and Trauma / Suicide / Video