MY WELLBEING JOURNEY Change and loss


In First Year, you learned that change is a necessary part of life and comes in many forms. Some changes are positive, while others are challenging. For example, for some people, moving from primary to secondary school can be challenging; while you look forward to the challenges and opportunities in your new school, you may also miss your friends from your old class and the school community that you were part of. Similarly, for some people, the loss of a pet might prove very upsetting, while another person will be more accepting of the loss and move on.


Everyone reacts differently to loss; the reaction depends on the individual person and the circumstances.


Individual activity


Readng for enjoyment and with understanding


Read the following poem about how we all sometimes try to avoid ‘the elephant in the room’ and then participate in a class discussion about it.


TOPIC 4 | LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT


‘Elephant in the Room’ by Terry Kettering


There’s an elephant in the room. It is large and squatting, so it is hard to get around it. Yet we squeeze by with, ‘How are you?’ and ‘I’m fine,’ and a thousand other forms of trivial chatter. We talk about the weather. We talk about work. We talk about everything else, except the elephant in the room. There’s an elephant in the room. We all know it’s there. We are thinking about the elephant as we talk together. It is constantly on our minds. For, you see, it is a very large elephant. It has hurt us all. But we don’t talk about the elephant in the room. Oh, please say their name. Oh, please say their name again. Oh, please, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. For if we talk about their death, perhaps we can talk about their life. Can I say their name to you and not have you look away? For if I cannot, then you are leaving me … Alone … in a room …


with an elephant. 209


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