Jason Wosminity’s father Adam passed away in March from COVID-19.
He knows this Christmas will be different from any other.
He said the current public health orders make the holidays tough and mourning more difficult.
“It’s just so odd to lose somebody and then not be able to be together and here we are, seven months later and we’re still not together.”
His isn’t the only family to have lost a loved one.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan has jumped from 6,708 to 14,101 in the past month — an increase of 110 per cent.
In that same time, deaths have jumped 251 per cent, from 37 to 130.
That means as many as 130 families will be mourning during the holiday season.
Therapist Beverly Gardner said grief, which can well up during holidays and anniversaries, combined with typical stress associated with the season, can make this Christmas particularly fraught.
“Sometimes we don’t really realize that the person is gone as much as when those holidays come up or those celebrations when you were spend time together,” she said, speaking via Zoom.
“(The grief could be triggered by) having memories of what the past Christmases were like, and there’s a loss there because you’re missing it.”
She stressed it is a natural response to loss and a process with which people must engage.
“If you’re feeling you’re missing somebody and you need a good cry, that’s healthy. If you’re angry and you just need to yell at the universe or whatever, just go ahead and do that,” she said, also mentioned journaling, scrapbooking and maintaining a daily routine as ways that could help.
She said it’s important to deal with grief when people experience it because “if you don’t grieve now, then down the road, you might find that all of a sudden you’re not dealing with just your daily life as well.”
Wosminity said he usually celebrated with his parents, that they are all a “good Ukrainian family” who have big dinners together. His dad, he said, would typically sit in an armchair and watch his grandkids. He would also usually play cards with them.
Wosminity said this year he’ll “try to focus on the happy for the kids, and try not to let it get (me) down, but this time of year it’s exceptionally hard.”
He said he hopes everyone wears a mask and sticks to their bubble so that they stay safe.
He also said people shouldn’t ask whether the person who died from COVID-19 had any other health issues or make the matter political.
“In the end someone has passed and it wasn’t their time. And that’s what’s important,” he said.
“If everybody just bound together… and everybody just wore the mask did what we’re asked to do, maybe some of these people who passed in this last month wouldn’t have had to.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.
Comments