Death of a Parent

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

Jackie – Expressive arts can help when grief is confusing

Jackie talks about how working with an artist therapist helped her after her sister and mother died

Kim – Some cry some don’t

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

Karyn and Aidan – The what if game and guilt

Karyn and Aidan explain how they have dealt with guilt

Hope – Benefits of child-centred grief programs

Hope discusses hope grief camp gave her and her family a place to feel normal

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.

Collective Grief

When the death of a person affects many members in a community, city, country, or across the world, people will experience collective grief.

These are some things that can help people through the experience of collective grief across a community.

Zoreena – My Story

Zoreena talks about COVID and the loss of her father and a cousin

Lisa – Music and a safe space

Lisa explains how music has been a safe space for her to feel all of the emotions that have come up since she lost her Dad

Bryan – Anticipation

Bryan discusses the experience of having his father go through a coma and ultimately dying from gun violence

Mary S – Coping with multiple loss

Mary explains the challenges of dealing with the death of her partner and then her parents

Mourning a Man I Never Knew

This spring, I turned fifty-four. I have now outlived the father I never knew: my biological father. It’s been almost twenty-three years since we spoke; eighteen years since I learned of his death. I’m still dealing with the strange grief of his loss.