I mentioned in a meeting that I had lost a certain set of documentation out of my office - and that it could not be replaced. Even though some of us have told people that our offices were quite literally destroyed, the words don't truly portray the totality and complexity of the losses experienced. Again, please understand this is just a single personal example of what's going on for so many people all over campus. On the other hand, the resiliency of our campus community has been unbelievable. We have so much to be proud of and so many colleagues to be thankful to - we just need to remember that these efforts have also taken a toll on many.
People deserve to be recognized.
It has been an interesting intermingling of personal feelings and reactions and thoughts with an understanding of the theory and research base related to issues of grief. My own understanding of the disaster keeps unfolding, layer after layer. It seems that every day this light bulb goes on in my own mind and I realize that I lost another item or resource that I had simply forgotten - only to be remembered when I needed to use it or someone calls and asks for a file. It's also been interesting to try and help others on campus, and then to realize that I may need the same kind of assistance myself. Luckily, my knowledge of the grief and loss literature has helped me normalize many of my own reactions and help others understand that their thoughts and feelings are also normal.