Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Kate – Triggers

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

Kate – Time to process

Kate shares about time and processing her grief especially during COVID

Jane – Preparing for another loss

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

Andrea – Couples versus being single

Andrea talks about becoming single when her husband died

Karyn and Aidan – Humour

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they use humour as a connection and a coping tool

Kate – Trust and listening

Kate – explains how having someone you trust is super important so that you can have a space space to go to

Karyn and Aidan – Our story

Karyn and Aidan – Karyn tells the story leading up to John’s death during the pandemic

Christian – Grieving spaces

Christian talks grieving spaces and people coming together when grieving

Andrea – Dealing with personal belongings

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

Karyn and Aidan – Describing grief during the pandemic

Karyn and Aidan talk about how their grief has changed and the challenges they have faced grieving during a pandemic

Maureen – “Not being able to be with your loved one”

Maureen discusses ideas of how you can honour a loved now until it is safe to come together.

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.