Director's Note Edition #72 - Processing Loss

Earlier this month, hundreds paddled out to grieve and celebrate the 115 people killed in the deadly Lahaina Fire. Witnessing this Hawaiian tradition sparked some important conversations with friends and colleagues about the rituals we participate in to grieve our loved ones after they have passed.?

In my own family, we honor our Chinese family members who have passed at a memorial or funeral by bringing them items that they might want or need in their next life. In the Jewish faith, loved ones often sit shiva – a practice where family members gather in one location for seven days to engage in a variety of grieving practices together. And coming up later this Fall, the Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition where loved ones pay respect and remember friends and family members who have died, often in colorful and humorous ways.?

These are all powerful ways to process loss that are focused on honoring, remembering, and celebrating loved ones. I recently read about some people who found solace in giving new life to a loved one’s old things. I see this as a beautiful way to carry on a memory while helping answer questions about what to do with many of the things left behind after someone passes.?

In our culture, we often shy away from these conversations out of discomfort or sadness, but there is great power in acknowledging death, in talking about what to do with one’s old things, or even in planning. Death is something that none of us will escape and when we face it, we can help others find closure, meaning, or deeper connection.?

Grateful for the conversations with friends, staff, and our members around this process and looking forward to bringing additional programming to GenSpace with our incredible partners at Mettle Health.?

The Director's Note is a weekly newsletter from Jennifer Wong, PhD, Director of the?Wallis Annenberg GenSpace. At GenSpace, we reimagine aging through wellness, connection, and lifelong learning — all in a vibrant, inclusive community space. We help change the outdated national conversation around aging — how we think and talk about it. Follow us on?Instagram?and?Facebook.