How Grief Changes You
a journey of Post-Traumatic Growth
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On January 3rd 2021, I learned that my aunt had passed away from the colon cancer that she had been diagnosed with just around a year before.
She was only 62. My dad texted me to let me know, although not the best way to receive news like that. It wasn’t unexpected, of course, but it was a shock that it was so sudden.
It took me awhile to process it, and sit with my feelings. The evening I found out, my husband said, “let’s put on something funny to cheer you up!” and I vehemently said, no.
I don’t want to gloss over my sadness with forced humour that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy anyway. So instead, we watched the Pixar movie, Soul, because I thought that was apt. It was a beautiful story and it brought me comfort in my shock and sadness.
Because of the pandemic, I hadn’t visited any of my family members who live on an island an hour and a half ferry ride away. Mainly, because I didn’t want to sit on a floating petri dish of potential Covid-spreaders, and also, I didn’t know if I was asymptomatic and potentially bringing the virus to my 72-year-old Dad and my aunt who…
