It’s well known the holiday season can be difficult for grievers. As this cartoon suggests, whether you’re a stranger, family or friend, try reaching out to someone you know is grieving. It’s likely you both know grief and could both use support befriending grief within yourselves. In this way, grievers are not quite so alone.

In today's hectic medical world, not many physicians have - or make - the time to mourn with grieving patients and families. Here's a different story, full of heart, meaning and revealing many facets of giving care.

Our Grief Gatherings week was full of people coming together in rich ways to discuss dying, death and grieving. Here are some drawings done live from the film, "In The Realm of Death and Dreaming: Does Consciousness Continue After Death?" produced by Grief Matters partner, When You Die. (whenyoudie.org)

We've all heard people say of a pet owner's loss, "But it's just a dog!". When Margaret Angus's dog Ruby died, she knew she lost much, much more . . . . Thank you, Margaret, for sharing.

Robbie McGinn’s partner of 32 years recently died after a long illness. In this cartoon, she generously shares the many ways grief is coming to her. She also shares the varied and valued ways the community, Mi'kmaw and non-Indigenous, are supporting her. "Grief is becoming gently embedded into my being," she notes. She also notes she particularly enjoys the chocolate croissants people are bringing over!

“Cooking for Dead People" is more than an intriguing name for a YouTube channel; it's a deep dive into one slow and meaningful way to experience grief and form a new kind of relationship with a lost loved one. Emma Palumbo, the show’s host, tells us more.

When Stephanie Levac's mother invited her to a musical about death in Toronto, "In Dreams", she leapt at the chance. Roy Orbison! Live Theatre! Death! Stephanie is a musician and a trained hospice volunteer; her mother is an oncology pharmacist. As experienced as they are with grief, they were surprised at all that can arise when grief is shared in a public space.

Our Grief Matters initiative, in part, aspires to move grief from the personal realm to the community space.

We see our social, public lives and spaces as essential hosts for grievers and for creating a common understanding of grief and its complexities. (This is explained in more detail in this month's blog.)

Recently, my drawing practice has turned to creating grief and death stories in the hope my cartooning can lessen my real fear of death, grief, and loss as I age. I’ve been drawing people in nursing homes for well over ten years now.

*Photo by CBC