Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

Kristal discusses the importance of finding ways to honour people that have been lost and how they have impacted you. She speaks to how she often chooses not to attend public memorials for those she has lost as a support worker as they are often very overwhelming. Instead, she has her own personal rituals or ways of honouring those she has lost personally including opening a window. She discusses how this practice was used when she worked in palliative care.

Weaving the Tapestry of Love

Learning to become a better person is a wonderful consequence of being in a loving relationship with someone; you’re present in ways that help them grow into their best self. It’s an organic process you flow with on a journey we map out with intention, though in reality, it remains unknowable. That is why a…

Keith – “Hope”

Keith talks about time, healing and hope.

Rev. Sky – “If you have experienced sudden loss”

Rev. Sky discusses things you can do to help navigate emotions.

Maureen – “Carrying grief”

Maureen gives an analogy of how hard it is to carry griefMaureen gives an analogy of how hard it is to carry grief.

Sara – Music at the end of life

Sara talks about the values of music at the end of life

Claudia – Taking your art home after art therapy

Claudia talks about why sometimes not to take your art home after therapy

Christian – “Stigma of opioid death”

Christian talks about the social acceptance of an opioid overdose.

Maureen – “Milestones and anniversaries”

Maureen talks about loss and what happens over time.

Rev. Sky – “What is a trigger”

Rev. Sky explains triggers, identifying them and what you need.

Shannon – Guilt vs Shame

Shannon talks about guilt can be a part of the grieving process but shame has to do with “is there something wrong with me”

Grief, Breastfeeding, and Care

In this essay, I share a bit about my story of grief and breastfeeding. I also share some thoughts about the cultural grief some people are carrying about the lack of support afforded to lactating families whose goal it is to feed their baby from their body. I use some gendered language throughout this essay…