A Message
This e-journal is a safe space for you to explore your grief, honor your loved ones, and find moments of healing. It draws on universal themes of mourning and memory, inspired by diverse cultural practices. These prompts and activities are designed to guide you toward personal reflection and creative expression without replicating specific cultural traditions.
Grief is a journey—one that is deeply personal, ever-changing, and unique to each one. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, no timeline to follow, and no single path forward. Yet, through the weight of loss, we find ways to remember, to honor, and to heal. Loss can feel isolating, but we are not alone.
Across cultures and generations, people have turned to rituals, objects, and shared experiences to navigate mourning. While this e-journal does not attempt to replicate any specific traditions, it is inspired by the universal themes of remembrance, transition, and healing.
This e-journal is a space for reflection, creativity, and connection. It entails gentle prompts and exercises that may help you explore your feelings, memories, and find comfort. Wherever we are in our journey, we hope this journal offers as a quiet companion—a place to honour loss, express feelings, and, in time, discover moments of light.
Chapter One
To Remember
What colours, patterns, textures remind you of them?
Imagine a keepsake box with treasured collectibles for them. Drawing the box, reflect on why these collectibles are meaningful to you.
Chapter Two
The Journey
They say a single soul experiences a million lifetimes. How would you imagine their journey between or following these lifetimes if it had a landscape?
Sometimes, we have much left to say to those we may not be able to meet again. Imagine what a letter to them would say.
Chapter Three
We Are One
In grief, we often come together to remember those no longer with us. Who are those people for you? How did their presence affect you? Add words or tokens representing the people, animals and objects that have supported you.
Chapter Three
Step outside, look around and note the smells, sights and sounds that surround you. Collect leaves, flowers, or small objects you encountered outdoors. Document them onto this page or draw their outlines in remembrance of this day. Note the date and time below.
Chapter Four
Within / Without
It can be difficult to understand our emotions in grief. Imagine your grief as the weather. Is it tempestuous and angry, or quiet as gentle rain? Reflect, draw or describe what it looks like today.
Repeat an exercise from this journal you felt most connected to. In the lines below, reflect on why you were drawn to this. Using the instructions provided, create an origami bouquet as a keepsake of your journey and their memory.
Acknowledgements
This journal was created with deep care and respect for the many ways people experience and express grief. Across cultures and histories, mourning practices have helped us find meaning, connection, and comfort in times of loss. While this journal draws inspiration from universal themes of grief—such as memory, transition, collective mourning, and healing—it is not meant to replicate any specific traditions. Instead, it is an open space for personal reflection, inviting you to shape your own journey of remembrance in a way that feels right for you.
We recognize the power of objects, rituals, and community in helping us navigate loss. This project has been shaped not only by research but by the generous voices of those who have shared their experiences with us. A heartfelt thank you to our friends at university and to everyone who has opened up about their own paths through grief and healing. Your honesty and wisdom have helped shape the prompts and creative exercises in this journal, making it a space that honors loss while embracing creativity as a way forward.
