Navigating Grief Through Poetry and Memory

This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes from this year and checking in on what has happened since the stories first ran.

In our society, the public part of mourning is ritualized by a coming together. What do we do now that the opportunity for collective mourning has been taken away?

Earlier this year, we heard the story of Wayne Irwin. A retired minister of the United Church of Canada who lost his wife, Flora May, during the coronavirus pandemic.

He never once considered delaying her memorial, opting to celebrate her life over the internet — a new ritual that, as it turned out, felt more authentic and real.

Today, we check back in with Wayne to find out how he’s been doing in the months since his wife’s passing.

Guest: Catherine Porter, Toronto bureau chief for The New York Times.

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Background reading:

• The rituals of our lives have been transformed. An expert on gathering shares advice for birthdays and baby showers in our audio series “Together Apart.”

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

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