Video

Jim – Grief and policing

Jim – ” I believe that policing is a profession that is constantly filled with loss. Whether it is losing a partner, a friend, or a loved one, police officers are always dealing with the pain of loss. I also talk about my own personal experience with grief, and how I have learned to cope with it. I hope that this video will help other police officers who are struggling with grief.”

Shannon – Blessings and sadness

Shannon discusses how just showing up, being present is a powerful way of supporting to someone who has lost. Listen more – talk less.

Claudia – Waterlillies

Claudia talks about how she painted on panels big enough to hug to help her with her grief

Mary S – Coping with multiple loss

Mary explains the challenges of dealing with the death of her partner and then her parents

Lisa – Music and her connection with her father

Lisa talks about the gratitude she has for reconnecting with her father before he died and how much music was a connection for them

Kristal – The Value of all Those Lost

Kristal emphasizes that the lives of those lost to drug poisoning had value, they were an opportunity that was lost, and that the community is missing so much in their absence.

Donna B – “Tools for a year of firsts”

Donna discusses how to look after yourself. Donna continues to grieve the death her son during service in Afghanistan.

Kristal – Story of Lived Experience

Kristal discusses experiencing homelessness at multiple stages of her life and how that informs her work as a peer support worker. It gives her an understanding of the nuance that surrounds the community. She uses this experience to support people who are experiencing grief related to death from drug poisoning.

Antoinetta – Things that are hard about school

Antoinetta shares about the challenges she faced when returning to school after her father died

Caileigh – Recommendations as a therapist and a griever

Caileigh discussed two recommendations for parents on how to support their child’s grief. as a therapist and a griever. The first is to recognize that being with is far more important than fixing. There’s two pieces to connection. The first being that one of the most important healing aspects to grief is feeling connected to others.

Jenn – What an art therapist can show us about processing grief

Jenn talks about how art can give a form to grief. It can give it shape and texture so it can be seen when it is often so invisible. It can also be messy which so like our grief experience

Teresa – Pierre’s legacy

Teresa shares the story of Pierre and how his medical needs required a move to a long term care facility. He declined very quickly when he was away from people he knew and the familiarity of his surroundings. His story motivated Community Living Dufferin to start providing supportive services and resources in order to have people stay in their home at their end of life.