Thoughts and Words About Grief
by Sherry Albrink, MD
Grief is a journey.
Even when a loss is expected, one has a tendency to react to the news with shock and denial.
As time passes, the loss becomes more real and more intense.
Initially, the practical tasks of making arrangements, sharing the news, & figuring out finances are often the initial things that occupy one’s time.
The road that follows is often filled with questions, tears, sleepless hours and angst.
And the only way to get past it is to go through it.
The job of the bereaved is to find a way to assure yourself that your loved one had a full life, and to define the significance of that life to you, personally and to the world. Everyone does this in his or her own time, and own way.
I can tell you that it does get better, eventually.
I can tell you that it helps us to know that there are people that understand and care.
I can tell you that help always comes, but often from places we don’t expect it, and not from the sources we rely on.
Ultimately, the memories fade and the pain of loss fades too.
Yet we carry our loved ones in our hearts, and keep them alive there, too.
With love and great respect,
Sherry
Resources for Grief and Mourning
We have sought out on-line resources to help us cope with grief and mourning.
Nothing can replace our family, friends and community as support through these frightening times, but you may find the information we’ve curated useful.
An excellent chart from the San Mateo County, California COVID-19 Resources website.
Therapist Lori Gottlieb writes about steps we can take to navigate through our losses due to Corona/Covid-19.
NPR Reporter Stephanie O’Neill interviews experts who explain how to recognize our losses and honor our grief.
Therapist Esther Perel, in a video, explains how our losses from coronavirus/COVID-19 kindles many levels of grief and loss, and how to shift away from despair.
From the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, an article by Sue Morris, PsyD, director of Bereavement Services, an article for those who have lost a loved one during the pandemic.
From the American Psychological Association, a two-and-a-half minute video: Grief and COVID-19: Mourning What We’re Missing