Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Marija – Grieving Situational Losses in a Pandemic

Marija talks about feelings associated with grief and Covid

Jane – Preparing for another loss

Jane talks about her experience with another grandparent dying after losing two grandparents over the last few years.

Laura- Processing Grief

Jean – Be good to yourself

Jean shares about support and not being hard on yourself

Andrea – Dealing with personal belongings

Andrea discusses dealing with her late husbands personal belongings and the need to purgees

Adrianna – Pandemic, funerals and celebration of life

Adrianna talks about the death of her friend during pandemic

Michele – Expressive arts and healing grief

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

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?”

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Special Days

When we are grieving, some days are more difficult than others. Grief comes in waves like the sea and can feel like an intertwining labyrinth of emotions. Birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates that are associated with our loved one who has died can contribute to more emotionally intense days which can be worsened through the anticipation and “what ifs” of the upcoming day. These difficult days can leave us feeling defeated and it can almost feel like we’ve taken two steps backward in our grieving process, but grief does not have a timeline, and these feelings of setbacks are opportunities for healing.

Maureen – End stages during a pandemic

Maureen talks about the end stages of her father-in-law during the pandemic.

Lynda – “Guilt during a time of crisis”

Lynda discusses how to deal with guilt.