Death and Grief During a Pandemic

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.

Maureen – Funeral during the pandemic

Maureen talks about funeral arrangements during a pandemic

Michele – Expressive arts and healing grief

Michele defines expressive arts and how they can help healing in grief

Holly – Singing in the last days

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

Beauty found at the edges: a portrait of community support

I’d sent a text saying “Hello friends, I’m putting out a call for flowers. I went to public school with Kory, the young man who died in downtown Cobourg this week, and though I hadn’t seen him in recent years, I feel the loss of him on a community level, as I imagine you do, too. Some of Kory’s people are gathering tonight in vigil at the bank where he died, and I’m gathering flowers from those of us who have gardens to share with this grieving community. Do you have some blooms in your garden that you’d be willing to share?”

Weathering the Intense Emotions of Grief

Grief often comes with powerful, unpredictable emotional shifts that can be painful to experience. While it’s important to find ways to sit with these feelings, to acknowledge the pain of grief and accept loss, it’s also necessary to find ways to ease and manage the pain. There are several simple activities that you can explore to help.

Marija – Feeling Disenfranchised Grief in a Pandemic

Marija talks about disenfranchised grief and Covid

Maureen – Compounded grief during a pandemic

Maureen discusses how grief can be compounded during a pandemic

Sunny- The Importance of Friends While Grieving

Laura- Loss to Covid & Disconnection

Lynda – “Old age home and guilt”

Lynda discusses how hard it is during the pandemic to have a loved on in an old age home

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Safe Spaces and Mental Health Access

Nicole discusses how the pandemic affected access to safe spaces and shelters for those living rough and living with addiction.