The ways we grieve and mourn our dead have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a pre-COVID-19 world, when death occurred we would come together with family, friends, and loved ones to support one another during times of pain and loss. Gatherings included meaningful rituals, shared hugs, community meals, and significantly the lifting up of one another during the most difficult times of our lives. And then COVID-19 appeared and robbed us of the intimate, meaningful kind of togetherness that balms the soul when the heart is in grief. The ability to grieve in community was diminished, and so was the healing that comes from being together when we hurt the most.