The “Controversial” Grief No One Wants To Talk About.
Hello, hello! I’m finding my way back to this space, and it feels good to be here.
Honestly, every time my heart puts out the intention of creating, writing, and sharing more, life has a way of pulling me in different directions, and my love for blogging takes a back seat.
But today, I’m here, and I’m excited to be back:)
This topic has been on my heart for literally five years. I’ve spoken about it here and there on social media, but it wasn’t until last year, when I decided to specialize in grief and loss, that I truly experienced the profound impact of 2020.
I’ve always known there was deep grief in that time, but I didn’t fully grasp its ripple effect until years later, and it’s still unfolding every single day.
Funny enough, as I write this, it’s literally five years to the date since the world as we knew it collapsed, and we’ve never seen it the same way again.
Before I go further, I want to make it clear that everything I’m about to share is my truth, my perspective, and my experiences. I have every right to share my voice, my story, and to advocate for those who may not be able to do so for themselves.
If you feel triggered, upset, or angry by what you’re about to read, I’m sorry but that’s on you and not me.
It reflects something deeper within you, and if you can’t see or hear someone else’s point of view, I’d encourage you to dig deeper and ask yourself why it bothers you so much.
There’s no denying that the last five years have completely flipped our worlds upside down.
Who would have ever imagined that the events of March 2020 onward would unfold the way they did?
A global pandemic. The world shutting down. Friends and families torn apart. People dying alone. Loved ones not allowed to be there for their final moments. Funerals left empty. Grief left unprocessed. People forced to take injections against their will. Careers and livelihoods destroyed because individuals stood by their right to body autonomy and personal freedom.
Voices silenced, censored, and cancelled for questioning the mainstream narrative. People ridiculed, abandoned, and dehumanized for simply holding a different belief. Doctors silenced, slandered and stripped of their licenses and reputations for daring to challenge the system. People wishing harm, even death, on others just for refusing to comply.
Small businesses crushed while big corporations thrived. Mental health tanking, overdoses and suicides on the rise. Human rights were trampled (literally, just think about what the government did during the Freedom Convoy) as they tightened their grip, dictating how we could live, work, eat, and even breathe.
People who refused the vaccine were banned from participating in society, banned from traveling, eating at restaurants, and entering certain establishments. Segregated and treated like second-class citizens, all for making a personal choice about their own bodies.
Honestly, the list goes on and on but you wanna know the biggest tragedy of all? The way people turned on one another, all fueled by fear and manipulation, (thanks to the main stream media), forgetting the very essence of what it means to be HUMAN.
Gosh, even as I write this, my heart aches, not only for what we’ve been through but for what we continue to navigate. And for what? All in the name of “health” Which if you haven’t figured out by now, had nothing to do with health and EVERYTHING to do with control.
You may be wondering, “why am I speaking about this now?” And let me tell you, it is for very good reason.
We need to pay attention to what’s happening around us. We need to see the correlations between the last five years and the global events that have shaped our lives. If you can’t see it, then I’m afraid you might be missing the point.
Obviously there is just so much to unpack in one blog post but one of the most prevalent issues to address is the alarming rise in death rates and the surge in chronic health.
Every day, I talk to people who know someone, if not multiple people, who have suddenly died or been diagnosed with life-altering illnesses.
The amount of grief that we are experiencing, individually and collectively is something that I don’t even think anyone can really comprehend.
It is absolutely gut-wrenching.
I’m obviously not a medical practitioner but I am a human being with common sense, logic and discernment and it’s hard to ignore the patterns we are seeing.
It’s like 1+ 1 = 2 but no one wants to address this even though to so many, including medical providers who have spoken up from the beginning, is that there appears to be a very clear connection between vaccination and illness/death.
We are watching people die at an unprecedented rate, and the toll is devastating. Young people, 20s, 30s, 40s, seemingly healthy, are dropping dead without warning. No prior health conditions. No explanation. And with the rise in heart issues, strokes, and terminal cancers, why is no one talking about this?
I’m pretty sure we can all agree, this isn’t normal.
If there’s a correlation, we should be speaking up and asking questions. Because wasn’t this exactly what people were warning about when these measures were first rolled out?
And yet, every concern was shut down.
Silenced. Dismissed.
But now, the very things people feared are playing out in real-time, at rapid speed that we can’t ignore.
Did they have special super powers to see into the future? Or were they simply willing to do the research, to think critically and recognize that none of it made sense?
It’s actually sickening to think that if people had questioned more, if they hadn’t just followed along and believed everything their TV told them, maybe this could have been prevented.
And on top of that, why is the mental health crisis reaching levels we’ve never seen before? Overdoses, suicides, anxiety, and depression are skyrocketing, and yet, the conversation about these connections, the mental, physical, and emotional, seems to be getting drowned out.
More people than ever are struggling with their mental well-being, and it’s heartbreaking to see.
I know I’m not the only one questioning what’s happening right now. Many people I speak to are asking the same question: “Why is there so much death and illness happening in the world right now?”
For some, these are very personal experiences. Many have lost loved ones. It’s hard to even write about it, as the grief runs deep.
And while I recognize that, I also know that we cannot turn a blind eye to what’s happening.
Even as I write this post, I feel resistance. Part of me wants to scrap it entirely, but the truth is, I’ve been holding this in for years.
I’m scared to be judged, ridiculed, or shamed (again) for speaking my truth, for shining a light on a topic that affects us all, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.
But I can no longer stay silent because this is too important.
As a Grief & Loss Practitioner, I can’t stand by and ignore the grief and trauma that we’ve all experienced over the past five years.
People are suffering in silence and that’s something I cannot bear.
God gave me a voice, and I’m going to use it.
To help heal humanity and nurture our divide.
The events of 2020 caused grief for everyone, no matter what side you were on, no matter what you believe.
We all felt the impact.
The bottom line is: Grief & Loss.
Grief in losing your body autonomy, being forced into medical choices that went against your will.
Grief in being shut down, banned, and ostracized from society for refusing to comply.
Grief in losing family and friends simply for having a different belief system.
Grief in being shamed, ridiculed, censored, and canceled for speaking your truth and advocating for your rights.
Grief in watching your loved ones die alone because of restrictions that denied them human connection.
Grief in losing your career and livelihood for standing firm in your autonomy.
Grief in watching your small business shut down while big corporations thrived.
Grief in realizing the institutions and people you trusted betrayed you.
Grief in knowing so many saw the red flags, but no one listened.
Those who stood up for body autonomy and personal freedom lost more than just rights, they lost careers, reputations, and a place in society. They endured isolation, and a constant battle to defend their choices.
But those who complied are grieving, too.
Maybe they carry the weight of choices they weren’t fully comfortable with. Maybe they’re watching people they love suffer in silence, wondering if they could have done something differently. Maybe they’re just now seeing the cost of conformity and questioning everything.
We are all grieving, just in different ways.
Whether it’s the loss of freedom, relationships, trust, or a sense of safety, it’s grief.
This has affected all of us.
Ignoring it doesn’t make it any less real.
If you’re still wondering, yes- I am among the people who chose not to comply with the ridiculous orders that were forced on us. Because of my firm belief in body autonomy and personal freedom, I experienced deep grief when I was excluded from society and had my rights stripped away.
Honestly, I could cry right now just thinking about those years, when I couldn’t travel, couldn’t go to restaurants, lost friendships, and had “so called friends” share reels claiming that unvaccinated people should be denied healthcare. Safe to say, we’re not friends anymore.
I went through an identity crisis because I had never spoken my truth like this before, and I struggled with it, afraid to be fully seen for who I truly am at my core, in my soul.
The loneliness and isolation drowned me in my thoughts, fueling anger, anxiety, sadness, and grief like I had never felt before.
Even now, it feels like my nervous system still holds onto aspects of that experience, and reliving it brings up similar emotions.
It was a traumatic and devastating time, without a doubt. But if I had to do it again, I would make the same choice.
Standing up for my values and aligning my life with my truth has taken me 37 years, but I’m damn proud of it.
It breaks my heart every single day to see the atrocities and deaths happening all around me, some of which have hit close to home.
My heart aches for everyone who has suffered through this.
Regardless of your viewpoint, we’ve all suffered as a collective and paid the price for the government overreach.
The thing that strikes me the most is that the same people who scream from the rooftops about inclusivity, equality, diversity, body autonomy and personal freedom are the same people who dehumanize, discriminate and slander anyone who disagrees with them.
Like really, make it make sense please.
You can’t be advocating for all of that, and then turn around when someone doesn’t agree with you.
This is a perfect opportunity to check yourself and your hypocrisy!
If you have made it this far, I hope you can recognize the complexity yet universal truth of grief and loss, no matter what your stance is.
Furthermore, I hope this conversation has sparked something within you, something that inspires and empowers you to dig deeper and question what’s happening in our world today.
You know, maybe what I am suggesting is not true. Maybe you believe it to be a mere “coincidence” (I would even bet you are the same person that doesn’t believe in coincidences) but I am strongly encouraging you to slow down, press pause on the busyness of your life and truly turn inward.
Face yourself, fully and honestly. A lot can be revealed to you, if you allow yourself to be present and give yourself permission to feel.
If you’re still feeling triggered after reading this, I invite you to take a few deep breaths.
Inhale. Exhale.
Give yourself space to reflect…
Why is it that you’re so bothered by a difference of opinion or view than your own?
How does it make you feel when someone doesn’t agree or align with your views?
What about this post is making you uncomfortable?
Is there space for curiosity instead of judgement?
What would it feel like to hold multiple truths at once?
Could this discomfort be an invitation to look deeper within yourself, at your own biases and conditioned beliefs?
To wrap this all up, this is your reminder that life isn’t so black and white.
We all have a story, we all come from somewhere but that doesn’t define us.
We are all entitled to perceive things the way we do, without feeling ashamed or attacked.
Be kind to one another, let go of the hatred and the divide.
Be curious, welcome open honest, respectful conversations.
Let’s start working together and creating change, the world needs more unity and light than ever before.
With Love,
Sara Jaswal❤️
