Death of a Parent

Hope – My Story

Hope tells the story of her father’s death and how it affected her and her family

Amber – Keeping Dad’s memory alive

Amber tells how she set up a Dad adventure day to keep the memory of her father alive for her kids and husband

Antoinetta – Myth that tragedy brings family together

Antoinetta discusses the challenges that her family faced after the death of her father

Matt – Music helped my grief

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

Cheryl and Mike – “Grieving more than one person”

Mike and Cheryl discuss how it gets complicated with multiple losses. They continue to grieve Cheryl’s father and the death their daughter in a car accident.

Jackie – Finger painting and grief

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

Lisa – What I do with my music

Lisa discusses what she does with the songs she writes and how they work for her when she needs to tap into a safe space

Craig – My Cumulative Grief

Craig shares his story of experiencing a series of significant losses over the course of two years. He talks about the shock, grief, and uncertainty he felt during this time, and how he coped with the accumulation of loss.Craig’s story is a reminder that grief is a normal and natural response to loss, but it can be overwhelming when it comes in waves. If you are experiencing grief, it is important to reach out for support from friends, family, or a therapist. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and everyone experiences it differently. The important thing is to be patient with yourself and to allow yourself to feel your emotions.

Lyss – Seasonal Reminders

Lyss seasonal reminders and her mother dying at New Years

Keeping Records

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.

Katie – Reminders in nature

Katie talks about crying privately and how nature can help. Cardinals remind her of her father

Kim – Facebook and connecting

Kim – discussses our need to connect and how Facebook was useful after her Mum’s death