We all have grief at this time
“The human spirit will find ways to connect”
The thing I’ve noticed throughout this pandemic is that we have all been affected by some form of loss and grief. We have all had to adjust and deal with the fact that things did not go as planned this year. All of our gatherings have been cancelled. All of our trips and vacations have been refunded and postponed. Weddings are put on hold or look very different, with many important people unable to attend. All of those hard working graduates are not getting to experience the time-honoured tradition of walking across that stage to receive their well-deserved diplomas in front of all who supported them. Milestone birthdays, retirements, baby showers, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, visits with grandparents and parents in nursing homes, and the list goes on.
Then there are the funerals, which for me, being in the funeral industry, was the hardest to see change so much. When you work in a profession that teaches you to support the bereaved by gathering and bringing the community together, to provide a shoulder to lean on and extend a hand to wipe away tears with a gentle touch or hug, it is very difficult to change your approach to show your compassion. But we, too, have adjusted and tried to help the best way we can, to honour those who have passed and to be there for those who have had to endure the pain of loss a little differently.
The other thing I noticed is that the human spirit will find ways to connect. We continue to celebrate, and to acknowledge accomplishments and achievements. We continue to send our encouragement, laughter and love to each other, and most importantly, we continue to live. Many of the things we have had to do differently will go back to some sort of normal and we can pick up where we left off. But for those who have lost their lives to this disease or during this difficult time, we remember you, we celebrate you and it is you who we grieve the most. arbormemorial.ca