Death and Grief During a Pandemic

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.

Andrea – Dealing with personal belongings

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

Lynda – “The importance of getting professional help”

Lynda discusses the many ways professionals can help.

Michele – Covid and virtual support

MIchele discuss support and how COVID has affected our grief in so many waysort

Zoreena – Passing on kindness

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

Jane – My Story

Jane shares her story about losing two of her grandparents just before the pandemic and the ways the pandemic has impacted her ability to process grief.

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.

Christian – My process in grieving

Christian explains his grieving process and how it’s important to let people in, the power of community, and having a team that makes him feel loved and cared for

Karyn and Aidan – Challenges with COVID restrictions

Karyn and Aidan discuss the COVID restrictions on visitations and how they managed

Karyn and Aidan – Supporting each other

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

Christian – Language around those pushed to the margins

Christian talks about how people who are pushed to the margins are not discussed as part of our community and how we need to include them. As a community how do we care for our neighbours and how do we mourn the loss of our neighbours

Jean – My own grief and being a professional counsellor

Jean shares about being a counselor and going through her own grief