What We Have to Gain By Talking About Grief and Loss At Work

I lost my husband to cancer during Covid — here's how it changed how I lead at work.

I was at my daughter's dance recital when I got the news that would change our lives: My husband, Harry, had cancer.

Harry and I met in Germany when I had just turned 30. I had moved there for work and fell in love with him the first day I saw him. He had an infectious smile and a way of moving through life that both honored the little moments and created space for great adventures during our 19-year partnership.

Harry was a planner, which made for a full life — but there was no amount of groundwork that could have prepared us for the last two years of his life, which were spent fighting cancer. They were the hardest years my family and I have endured, but they also taught me the most about love, hope and leadership.

As the leader of a global company that supports seniors through at-home care, I'm accustomed to helping caregivers and families through loss, but losing Harry was a different experience entirely. I hit my rock bottom and learned a lot about how we show up and talk about grief.

Death and grief are inevitabilities in life, yet even in my industry, we need to talk about it more. As awkward as it can be, the more we normalize conversations around death and grief, the better positioned we are to support those around us who are impacted by grief. Here's what my experience taught me: