Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Michele – Talks about being a death doula

Michele explains what death doula’s do. Doula means servant. They support people on many different levels… for instance, emotionally, spiritually and physically

Lynda – “Guilt during a time of crisis”

Lynda discusses how to deal with guilt.

Jean – What grief feels like physically

Jean discusses the physical effects she has experienced in grief

Michele – Expressive arts and healing grief

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

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 – Working in Community Outreach

Nicole discusses her work in community outreach and how she has lived experience with addiction and living rough.

Kim – Self care

Kim talks about looking after yourself and how much it helps. In particular be kind to yourself

Jane – Preparing for another loss

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

Karyn and Aidan – Coping with the COVID restrictions

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they dealt with not being able to visit John in hospital

Christian – COVID amplified the inequities in society

Christian talks about those that have very little and how COVID amplified their difficulties

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.

Michele – Normalizing conversations around death dying grief and loss

Michele discusses grief literacy, the importance of talking and that dying is a part of life