In preparatory thinking about how to support peers, clients, donors, and colleagues should grief come knocking at their door in the course of this pandemic, I have been thinking about some resources that I have found useful. This one is perhaps the most relevant one.
The Ring Theory was original written as an op-ed in at the LA Times (https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-xpm-2013-apr-07-la-oe-0407-silk-ring-theory-20130407-story.html) and since then has been used in a few different contexts (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/promoting-hope-preventing-suicide/201705/ring-theory-helps-us-bring-comfort-in).
Short version - if you are grieving/afflicted, draw a circle - you are that circle. Your grief or your reactions are about you; it is yours.
Those around you make up the rings encircling you - it is not about them, but they too may need support.
The theory is comfort in, dump out. The person in the circle, at the middle, gets nothing but support. It is the job of those on the surrounding rings to stick to the rule. Bring nothing but comfort to those more central to the grief, and if they are requiring support themselves, they must seek that outwardly to a more distant ring.
It's all subjective of course, but I'd encourage you to try to think about where you are during the coming days, weeks, months...
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