Charlene Lam - Grief Coach

So much grief, and so much joy. Roosevelt Island, in the middle of the East River in NYC. You are missed, Carlo and Peter.

How does your culture or heritage affect your grief? Here are 5 ways my Asian-American heritage shaped my experiences of grief and loss — and many surprised me!

1️⃣ A lot of assumptions about how Asians grieve or approach death and dying.

2️⃣ Not talking about illness and death was the norm in my family.

3️⃣ Superstition played a big role.

4️⃣ Disconnect with traditions.

5️⃣ Multilayered losses.

Have you experienced something similar?

Find the full video and post at charlenelam.com

Mother’s Day permission slip: You can celebrate or not. I don’t know yet if I’ll be crying or laughing this Sunday. Likely both. 😅

Mother’s Day can bring up a lot for grievers, whether you’ve lost your mom, your mum, or mother figure to death, estrangement, illness, or other circumstances. My advice? Cope with Mother’s Day in the way that’s right for you!

Some years, I feel like celebrating and I do a big ceremony, with flowers and red ribbon dancing. Other years, I prefer to stay in bed with magazines and potato chips. Let’s meet ourselves where we are.

The full video with my 5 Tips for Mother’s Day for Grieving People is at CharleneLam.com/mothersday
💖

Can you think of a simple object that takes on whole new meaning for you after a major loss? That’s the question I asked during my talk at — and I think many grievers can relate!

Maybe it seems insignificant to other people.

And maybe you’ve experienced the exact phenomenon that I did, where an object suddenly becomes precious after a loved one dies. For you, it might be your grandmother’s ring, your father’s watch, or a family photo.

These are the things that are precious to us. These are the things that we hold close to our hearts. These are the things that we would save in a fire. And it hurts when we lose them.

…

Watch the whole talk on YouTube at curatinggrief.com/tedxtalk