Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Maureen – Hospital restrictions during a pandemic

Maureen discusses hospital restrictions while her father-in-law was palliative during the pandemic

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

Lynda – “Resilience”

Lynda discusses what resilience is all about

Maureen – Isolated in a nursing home

Maureen talks about her father-in-law isolated and palliative during the pandemic

Kim – Facebook and connecting

Kim – discussses our need to connect and how Facebook was useful after her Mum’s death

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.

Sunny- Processing Different Losses During the Pandemic

Lynda – “The importance of getting professional help”

Lynda discusses the many ways professionals can help.

Kim – Some cry some don’t

Kim discusses how tough COVID made the hospital experience and the support she received

Kate – Triggers

Kate discusses how she deals with her emotions when something triggers her grief

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

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.