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Reflection Paper On Grief And Loss

Satisfactory Essays

Grief, loss, and death are all emotions and experiences that we often associate with negative life events. In coping with grief, loss, and death there are several different methods. Whether it’s your personality type, economic situation, residential living conditions, or support system. We all cope with pain and agony in different ways. In this reflective essay, I will talk about two of my personal experiences with grief and loss, and the methods I use in order to cope with them. My parents’ divorce, and lacking extended family presence have caused me to both grieve and flourish into the individual I am today.
The rates of divorce within Canada have steadily increased over the years. In 2005, the number of divorced couples within Ontario was 28,805 (Statistics Canada, 2008)! One year later, my family would soon be added to that number. When I was in grade four my parents agreed upon getting a divorce. To offer some insight into their relationship, my parents came together to Canada as refuges from Ethiopia. Therefore, my sister and myself are first generation children living in Canada. My parents bickered often near the end of their marriage, and so the divorce was not a shock to me. However, when the divorce occurred it still struck me as an overwhelmingly emotional event. When the fighting first occurred, my father sat my sister and I down to have a conversation. He looked at us in the eyes and said, “Don’t worry, your mother and I will never get a divorce.” I remember those empty words to this day. Remembering those words only brings emotions of grief and despair to my mind. After my parents had settled on the idea of a divorce, the next step was deciding where the children (my sister, and myself) would stay. There was a meeting planned with children services, as well as my parents. We all sat in a large conference room together. They sat my sister and I across from my mother and father. Then they asked us, “Who would you like to stay with once the divorce is settled?” This poses a large question onto children of 9 (me) and 12 (sister) years old. Having to choose between two parents, ultimately assumed that I would be losing the parent that I didn’t choose. In these circumstances, my parents’

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