RELS2352 Death

Preamble We are living in unprecedented and challenging times, on many different levels. All of us cannot help but be affected by what is going on in the world today since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. In light of this, in this Forum you are asked to reflect on our current social/historical context, and your own situation and thoughts within that context. How to proceed: 1. Read the March 20, 2020 Globe & Mail opinion piece, “Grief in the Time of Coronavirus” by Dr. Brandy Schillace to get you started thinking. 2. Identify one or two points in Schillace’s article that speak to you or make you think. Briefly summarize these at the beginning of your Submission. 3. Expand on your submission with your own personal reflections. Here are some possible questions/ideas you could choose from, or come up with your own: • How has the pandemic changed your views on death, or life? Has it made you think more about your own vulnerability? • What “losses,” if any, have affected you during this time. This could be people you know who have become sick, loss of personal connections to family (including older relatives, perhaps), loss of your regular social connections, of campus life, etc. • What sacrifices have you had to make? What sacrifices are you willing to make for a safer future? How can we/you develop more resilience? • What kinds of opportunities does the virus present us with for reimagining the future – your future? What kind of a world would you like to see emerge from the pandemic? • While there is much cause for despair, as we learn from the stories of Viktor Frankl—as well as many extraordinary and ordinary heroes—humans are resilient and have come out of, and even thrived under, desperate situations in the past. Post your ~ 400-word submission in the Forum by midnight August 9th starting your own thread. Then, respond with thoughtful, substantial comments to at least three of your classmates’ posts. Monitor your own submission’s thread, responding to people’s comments on your submission as desired. You only need to include a bibliography if you use sources other than Schillace.