I Am A Griever

Lyss – Seasonal Reminders

Lyss seasonal reminders and her mother dying at New Years

Scott – Writing music

Scott talks about the cathartic nature of writing music stories

Joyce – When you are a mother who loses a child

Joyce shares about how she has felt as a mother who lost a child

Joyce -The pandemics impact on drug poisonings

Joyce talks about drug poisonings during the pandemic

Lyss – Losing My Mother

Lyss discusses losing her mother and how her first thought was that her mother would never meet her kids Now being a mother herself brings back many memories of her.

Betsy – Anticipation

Betsy discusses the anticipation of her adopted son dying of cancer and now or her aging parents

Scott – Music and grief

Scott discusses the relationship between music and grief

Kate – Stigma

Kate discusses how difficult the stigma is to deal with

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.

John – Dating again

John talks about being asked by his daughters if he would ever date again

The ties that bind; grieving the loss of a sibling

When my three brothers and I were growing up and the proverbial hit the fan, Mum would often say, in a bid to keep her brood calm, ‘Well, at least we are all still here.’ She reminded me of this affectionate saying only very recently. I can still recall how I felt as a child…

Jim – Significant incidents

Jim discusses being involved in a significant incident and how it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and ruminate over it. You may even start to drink or use drugs to cope. But it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Many police officers have been through similar experiences. And there are resources available to help you get through this.One of the best things you can do is talk to a trusted friend or colleague. They can offer support and understanding. You can also seek professional help from a therapist or counselor. They can help you to process your experience and develop healthy coping mechanisms. It’s also important to remember that you can’t change the past. But you can learn from it. And you can move on. Don’t let one incident define you. You are a strong and capable person. And you will get through this.