Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Learning from Grief

Grief is weird. Odd start, I know, but that was the sentence I used a lot whenever someone asked me how I was. It was never a constant feeling; it changed day to day. And still does. It’s the full gambit of emotions from sadness to anger to guilt and, though dark, even humour found its way in.

Sunny- The Importance of Friends While Grieving

Jane – Grief and meditation

Jane shares how she practices daily meditation and how that helps her manage her thoughts and feelings.

Karyn and Aidan – Going forward

Karyn and Aidan talk about Aidan’s wedding after John died and how they continue to cope

Zoreena – Passing on kindness

Zoreena talks about wakes, funerals, COVID and the importance of kindness

Kim – Checking in is very important

Kim explains why it is so important to check in and keep in touch with people who have lost

Andrea – Loneliness and support

Andrea talks about how tough it is to be alone and how her friends and family have come through for her

Karyn and Aidan – Supporting each other

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they supported each other and how they coped with John being hospitalized

Nicole – Stigma Surrounding Drug Use

Nicole discusses how the stigma around drug use has an impact on how people feel able to grieve when those in their community are lost.

What I know about grief

The following are some things I know to be true about grief for me, based on my lived experience. Some of them may resonate with you as well. Grief is unique to the people experiencing it in each moment, so please take whatever makes sense to you from this share and leave whatever doesn’t.

Tips for Grieving During the Holidays

The holidays can bring up a lot of feelings, especially when you’re grieving the loss of a loved one. Whether it’s the first holiday season without someone, the holidays mark a time where someone you love died, or it’s just hard to be around celebration when you’re not feeling celebratory, December can feel heavy.

These are a few tips for grieving during the holidays.

Christian – Supporting people who may die

Christian talks about going from zero overdoses to 50 in a matter of months and how to help people who may die