Grief

When parents die, we face powerful emotions, rituals, and tasks, including the eulogy. Listen as poet Jahan Ramazani (University of Virginia) pays tribute at the 2016 memorial service to his father. Also: In addition to our grief at the loss of parents, we’re often also faced with so much stuff. Marietta McCarty (Piedmont Virginia Community College) wrote a loving memoir about the daunting task of emptying her beloved family home in Leaving 1203: Emptying a Home, Filling the Heart.
Later in the episode: Two years ago, while Brian Henderson (Patrick Henry Community College) was coaching women’s basketball, he experienced the tragic deaths of a player and a fellow coach. How does one grieve while also helping others cope with their grief? Henderson explores this question in his book, No Playbook for Death: Recovering from a Loss. Plus: The addiction epidemic has helped fuel a foster care crisis. Wendy Welch (University of Virginia College at Wise) asked more than sixty social workers, parents, and children who have gone through foster care what it’s like. Their stories show the desperation, frustration, compassion, and hope of foster families in the Appalachian coalfields.