
Stolen grief
There are many parts to my 2020 story, but the part that will always stand out for me is grief. But unlike many here, Covid was not the cause. My father died of "natural" causes (old age related) in Sept. of 2019, then 6 months later, before she'd really grieved, my mother died of Pancreatic cancer. I'm in my 50's and fortunate to have had them so long. But we were CLOSE. My brother & sister and I were there with each through their illnesses and at the end. We were lucky. After mom, we closed up their home, hugged, then separated to "meet again in 2 weeks to begin going through things". And were promptly locked down in 3 west coast cities. It's been 10 months now since my mom died. No memorial and the house is still closed up. I haven't been able to grieve with my sibs, and it's still inconceivable to me that we can't take care of each other except remotely. It's causing us all to struggle in ways we wouldn't have, even as this shared experience brings us together. For all of us, the day we can come together again and celebrate our parents, is the day the world will right itself.