OTTAWA -- For many Canadians, this has been a year defined by grief.

There is a collective grief due to lives lost to the pandemic.

And for anyone who has lost a loved one since lockdown, there has been an inability to gather together to mourn.

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association wants people to talk to one another about grief, especially today: Nov. 17 is National Bereavement Day.

Kelly MacLaren is with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association and says every Canadian deserves the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones, even during this unprecedented time.

As part of the bereavement campaign, the association held a virtual concert with many celebrated Canadian artists on Saturday.

“It’s to call attention to the fact that Canadians are suffering grief and we need to find resources and outlets to deal with it, talk to each other,” MacLaren says.

“When this lockdown started, it really kind of struck me that so many people are not able to deal with grief in the normal ways that were used to like funerals and celebrations of life,” she added. “Even though we are so physically isolated, and unable to come together, we are still together in our journey of grief. … We need to say goodbye.”

One of artists who participated in the concert is local singer-songwriter, Tara Shannon.

Shannon was asked to write a song about death and the tough conversations that many people, regretfully, never have.

Her piece is a beautiful and emotional song that may make you reach for a tissue and search for the words, and questions, to get a conversation going with those you love.

“The idea is to encourage people to have those conversations with loved ones before they pass, so their wishes would be known,” says Shannon.

“The song says that in a relationship we love each other, we know so much about each other but we don’t have the hard conversations. Today is a good day to honour those you have lost and take a minute and talk to your loved ones about the hard stuff.”

She hopes her song ‘Say’ will get families talking.

“I’m speaking to everybody who’s trying to gather up the courage to have this conversation with their loved ones about what really matters to them about their end of life care.”

“What do they want it to look like? Who  they want around them?  We have a hard time talking about death in our culture. I want this to help normalize the conversation,” says Shannon.

Shannon music will make you feel.  MacLaren says the CHPCA.ca website has the tools to put the emotion into motion.

“There is a guideline on the website to generate the dialogue.  We have workbooks and scripts.”

On this Bereavement Day, you can watch the concert featuring the following artists: John McDermott, Tara Shannon, Alan Doyle, George Canyon, Larry Gowan, Rose McKenzie, Florent Vollant, Keelin Wedge, Shari Ulrich, Eileen Laverty, Ray Legere, Amanda Walther & Sheila Carabine.

For more information about the Saying Goodbye concert, please visit their website.

Lyrics to Tara Shannon’s “Say”:

SAY
H. McLean/T.Shannon

I know you love the sound of rain
That it’s milk and never cream
And when you need your space
You go ahead and make it

I know all your favourite shows
That it’s the Beatles over Stones
But when there’s flowers by your bed
You can’t say what you never said
So what have you never said

Tell me
Everything you want
Everything you need
Every what if you can think of
Darlin’ speak up and say
Say, say everything
Say, say, say everything

So what’s in your heart when it breaks
It’s okay to feel afraid
Tell me what would be your way if the whole world was listening
Cause darlin’ I’m listening

Tell me
Everything you want
Everything you need
Every what if you can think of
Darlin’ speak up and say
Say, say everything
Say, say, say everything

Cause no one lives forever
No one wins if we pretend
Say it now instead of never
What do you want in the end

Tell me
Everything you want
Everything you need
Every what if you can think of
We just speak up and say
Say, say everything
Say, say, say everything