Grieving Without Gathering

Grief is our internal process of dealing with loss, but coping with that grief requires external support. So, how can we process loss without being together? For losses of well-known public figures, it can look like a virtual gathering of strangers to share their collective memories and reflect on the global impact the person made. For personal loss, like that of a family member, it may mean making do with a less-than-ideal memorial service now with plans for a grandiose celebration of life once it's feasible to be around each other again. When you hear the word grief, the first thing you typically think of is death. But we're all experiencing another type of grief due to the pandemic - disenfranchized grief, over the loss of the lives we once had. We spoke with a grief counselor about how unique the grieving process is, methods for coping and reasons to be grateful even when it seems like hope is lost.