Symbolic Loss

As I was studying for Grief Counseling I learned about Symbolic Loss. I had not heard the term before but I was aware that people expericence grief in other situations other than related to the death of a love one. Symbolic Loss and grief is experienced in reaction to divorce, unemployment, moving from a neighbourhood, and having an empy nest. I believe hospice nurses and staff experience symbolic loss as we move from one family to the next. We have lost a relationship, the investment into their lives, we also lose a routine that we are familiar with and we are forced to create a new bond with another family. We just move on without taking the time to look at the loss. We are not at a check out register passing items across a scanner and placing them into a plastic bag to be taken home. People pass through out hands and our hearts and are placed in a coffin to go home. I believe that we have to take the time to acknowledge our loss so that we can regroup and equip ourselves to move on. Perhaps we can find unique ways to acknowledge the transition without going to McDonald's to mourn.