Mokita Dialogues: Reflecting on the many types of loss we’ve faced during the pandemic

Jana Marie Foundation will shine a light on the importance of grief during its next Mokita Dialogue at 11 a.m. Thursday.

When we think of grief, we often think about major losses such as the death of a loved one. While loss like that is certainly a valid source of grief, we often overlook smaller, daily losses that we face in our lives, and the impact they may have on our ability to cope. Grief is not always linked to death. Grief lingers when we face any type of loss, and this upcoming Mokita Dialogue gives us the opportunity to come together to share how grief plays a role in how we live — especially as we reflect on the many types of losses we have faced over the last 16 months.

Grief, in many forms, is something that impacts us all throughout our lives. Grief is a natural response when someone or something is lost. In addition to loss through death, other forms of loss include the ending of a relationship, moving away from home, losing a job, graduating from college, or loss of identity or purpose. People grieve in a variety of unique and personal ways, expressed through emotions, behaviors, thoughts, spiritual or religious beliefs, or physical sensations depending on your own cultural context.

Grief can sometimes be an uncomfortable topic, and when someone is grieving, we often find it hard to find words to comfort them, so we choose to say nothing. We shy away from these sensitive and awkward conversations, leaving these discussions untouched. “Mokita,” a word from the Kilivila language, which means “a known truth left unspoken,” provides us with a safe space to come together as a community to learn how to move through our own grief or help others who may be facing loss.

Many of us have experienced loss as a result of the pandemic, and mental health issues have been perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students lost over a year of in-person learning. Families lost vacations or holidays spent together. Others lost loved ones, and still there was loss of health for people who contracted the virus. Collectively, there was a loss of human connection and interaction, something we all rely on. As college students, we have experienced other losses such as the end of a school experience, ending internships, or moving away from home. These changes, transitions, and forms of loss can have a profound impact on how we feel each day. We will work to understand these feelings of grief and loss through open conversations facilitated by Jana Marie Foundation President and Founder Marisa Vicere.

These feelings can be scary and hard to identify. Beginning to understand how these losses have impacted us is an important step to understanding how we are all experiencing grief. Long-time friend of the Jana Marie Foundation and Licensed Professional Counselor Evelyn Wald says that “grief affects every aspect of our life. Come and explore those sometimes daily losses and ways to identify or acknowledge and manage your grief.”

This next Mokita dialogue will open a conversation to help us understand and acknowledge grief in many different forms. Join us on Thursday for this open and honest conversation about grief. The dialogue will start at 11 a.m. and be hosted over Zoom at tinyurl.com/MokitaDialogues. Everyone is welcome to join this discussion.

If you have any questions before the event, please feel free to email info@janamariefoundation.org .