Lost By Cathy Ostlere Essay

The topic of the impact that grief has on an individual’s relationships is important to understanding the human condition. Some individuals suggest that the impact the grief has on an individual’s relationships will cause the individual's pain to continue for long periods because it will cause the individual not to be able to console in the ones around them who they depend upon. Others, however, believe that the impact the grief has on an individual's relationships will cause healing of the person's metaphorical scars and wounds because of the new relationships that the individual may be able to form with new people, helping them find peace. In the memoir, Lost, by Cathy Ostlere, it follows that the character of Cathy initially struggles with the impact that grief has on her relationships when her brother goes missing because the members of her family blame themselves and those around them for his loss due to their grief. However, when she goes looking for David, she breaks away from her relationships and forms new ones. Consequently, she is able to find peace in the new relationships that have been formed. In the memoir Lost, author Cathy Ostlere develops the idea that when an individual is faced with grief, that individual may strive to find inner peace even at the cost of her personal relationships. Initially, when an individual is exposed to grief, that individual may begin to heavily exploit pre-existing relationships as a coping method in order to ease their pain. In the memoir Lost, Cathy comes to a realization that David and his girlfriend are lost when her brother they fail to call them on his birthday, a tradition that has been completed regardless of the circumstances every year. It is because of this fact that she realizes that there is a good chance that he may have died on the journey, and this is due to the very dangerous journey that they undertook. During this period, she feels conflicted about whether or not she should reveal this to her family because there is still a chance that he is alive, so if she reveals his secret is may have unfortunate effects on his journey and his trust for her. When she eventually reveals the secret about the journey to her family, it does not go as well as it might have gone. It is because of this being revealed that her family starts to lay blame on those around them, including Cathy and themselves. During the grief process, it is common to have this sort of anger towards one another, as a strange and problematic form of grieving. This causes trouble between all parties included so that they have trouble trying to communicate and console effectively with one another. It is because of events like the one that has occurred that can cause many to think that impact that the grief has on the relationships will be negative, while it may actually be good in the long run. However, when the individual finds that they are not able to cope with her grief, they may break away from their old connections and try to form new ones, in an attempt to relieve their pain. In the memoir Lost, Cathy finds that the old relationships that she has with her family around her are being strained too heavily, so she creates new relationships with the people around her during her journey to find news about her brother. She heads across the sea to the places where he was traveling to or might have been seen. This is because she felt as if she was not doing enough back in Calgary …show more content…
Initially, when Cathy’s brother simon goes missing, she begins to grieve, and causes heavy strains her relationships with her family. However, when Cathy finds no solace in her family, she breaks away from her relationships and forms new ones in an attempt to find news of her brother. Consequently, in the light of her aging grief, when Cathy forges new bonds with those who surround her, she finally is able to find inner peace. When we support those who are hurting in times of need, we may also be able to help ourselves in the