Supporting Others

Amanda – “Listening”

Amanda shares the importance of listening and being comfortable with silence.

Kim – Checking in is very important

Kim explains why it is so important to check in and keep in touch with people who have lost

Kim – Facebook and connecting

Kim – discussses our need to connect and how Facebook was useful after her Mum’s death

John – Empower yourself

John shares his thoughts about how to support someone in grief and his processes

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…

Maureen – “Peer vs professional support”

Maureen talks about getting help and what is right for you.

Karyn and Aidan – Supporting each other

Karyn and Aidan talk about how they supported each other and how they coped with John being hospitalized

Nicole – Pandemic’s Effect on Safe Spaces and Mental Health Access

Nicole discusses how the pandemic affected access to safe spaces and shelters for those living rough and living with addiction.

Jean – Be good to yourself

Jean shares about support and not being hard on yourself

Jacqueline – Advice to Younger Self

Jacqueline talks about seeking help and being kind to yourself

Jessica M – The value of talking about grief

Jessica talks about living in North America and the fear many people have about talking about grief but that it is very important to talk. It makes us feel less alone and helps us move through our grief. It’s also how you can keep your lost one alive.

Cara – Intellectual disabilities and advance planning

Cara explains that people living with intellectual disabilities are growing to older ages, much like the rest of the population. And as folks are aging what we’re seeing is the need for families more so than ever, to do some advanced planning for who will take over any caregiving decision making or where that person may live, what sort of support they may need and what that’s going to look like after the parents or the guardians die so that this doesn’t become a crisis situation.