We have begun the process of written interviews with some individuals in our life. We are asking a number of people the same three questions in order to showcase the broad spectrum of grief- what we learn from it, how our perceptions of it have changed, etc. We are excited to post the fifth in the series.

The three questions posed to each participant are:

1. What is your experience with grief?
2. What were your perceptions of grief before?
3. How have they changed or been proven true?

Thanks to Rodney Friesen for being real with us and sharing his thoughts on each of these questions.

1. What is your experience with grief?

My first exposure to grief would have been in my elementary years (grade 3-5) when I had a grandma, an uncle, and a classmate all pass.  As a young person my emotion was more of fear than grief, I did not want to die. 

A few years later, when I was in grade 12, my mother passed away suddenly with an undiagnosed cancer.  The following week my dad was diagnosed with leukemia and succumbed to it two months later.  True grief hit me with the passing of both my parents prior to me graduating from high school.

2. What were my perceptions of grief before?

Prior to having the people mentioned above passing away I never thought about grief.  Back in the day grief was not a topic of conversation, instead you were to “suck it up” and suffer in silence. 

3. How have my perceptions changed or proven true?

Now at the age of 46, I have learned that grief is a journey that never truly ends but has different stages of intensity and healing.  Also, I have learned if you do not intentionally work through the grief process/journey it can be detrimental to your mental and physical health.