When Grief Meets Business: The Power of Human Connection in Times of Loss

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In the last few weeks, my world was turned upside down. In December, I lost my father after years of battling heart disease and Parkinson's, and I lost my mother to cancer just a few weeks ago. My father's passing was something I had prepared for, knowing it was only a matter of time. My heart and soul were braced for it. But my mother—her loss was sudden, a shock that I'm still struggling to process. We returned from a beautiful family trip to the Dominican Republic in late June. A few weeks later, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's the deadliest form of cancer, nearly impossible to detect early, and by the time it's discovered, there's little anyone can do. In just two months, she was gone.

When I started this newsletter, I committed to sharing weekly insights. But for the past weeks, my heart and mind were in a completely different place. The grief was overwhelming. Nearly a month has passed, and I'm still mourning. I cry every night and wake up with tears in my eyes. It's not just that my parents are gone; it's that I'm now alone in a way I've never been.

I have a remarkable wife and daughter with whom I share an unbreakable bond. For the past 10 years, we have woven a life filled with love, laughter, and extraordinary moments. Yet, beneath it all, I feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness. For nearly a decade, my life revolved around caring for them, being their rock, their constant support. And now, they're gone. Suddenly, the responsibilities that once filled my days have vanished. There are no more problems to solve, no urgent needs to attend to. I find myself adrift, with nothing pressing to care for, and that void is profound.

Strangely enough, my mourning was not without deep reflection. In fact, I spent countless hours trying to make sense of this new life, this unfamiliar reality that felt nothing like the world I once knew. Without realizing it, I began living through a new set of eyes—eyes clouded with tears and heavy with grief. The hurt was unlike anything I had ever known, a profound ache that seemed to fill every corner of my soul. I found myself yearning for something I never expected: the need to be surrounded only by those who could truly see me, who could understand the depth of my pain without a single word spoken.

But somehow, wherever I went, I felt like a solitary soul adrift in a bustling world. The people around me continued to laugh, engage, and savor life's simple joys. Their lives moved forward effortlessly, while mine seemed to stand still, enveloped in silence. This profound sense of isolation reminded me of the hundreds of disaster survivors I had interviewed over the years. They shared profoundly moving stories—tales of loss, resilience, and hope—that eventually led me to develop the concept of "symbolic humanitarianism." It's a way of understanding humanitarian work not just through actions but through the profound connections we forge with those around us. It's about how we relate to one another on the most human level, especially in times of profound sorrow.

Perhaps because of my work, I can't help but constantly analyze relationships—whether between individuals, organizations, or even entire societies. Since my mother's passing, I've interacted with at least 50 companies and agencies—health insurance providers, the cemetery, law enforcement, doctors, utility companies, and more. Each interaction brought me face-to-face with countless individuals behind those institutions. In my delicate, raw state, I became acutely aware of the stark contrasts in how I felt with all those different individuals. Each encounter left its mark, revealing the subtle but profound differences in how people, organizations, and systems relate to someone in mourning, and it was impossible not to reflect on the ways they either embraced or overlooked my grief.

“Each encounter left its mark, revealing the subtle but profound differences in how people, organizations, and systems relate to someone in mourning, and it was impossible not to reflect on the ways they either embraced or overlooked my grief.”

Only one company truly touched my heart: American Airlines . Their kindness and sensitivity were not just gestures; they felt real as if they saw me not as another customer but as a human being in deep pain. Every interaction with them radiated genuine care, as though they understood I was struggling, not just traveling. They went beyond what was expected and, in doing so, earned my loyalty for life. In stark contrast, countless other companies carried on as if nothing had happened, treating me with the same indifference they would on any ordinary day—some even worse. Those companies have lost me forever.

This experience made me reflect deeply on whether companies even consider how they treat their customers as a vital part of their journey toward resilience. Facing the unknowns of the future and achieving real resilience demands much more than a well-crafted business continuity plan, a robust IT infrastructure, or a solid HR and financial strategy. Confronting the inevitable disruptions, especially in times of disaster, requires something far more profound. Companies must embrace the emotional and spiritual needs of the people they serve. Resilience is not just about surviving—it's about connecting, about recognizing that people need more than products and services in their darkest moments. To truly be prepared for what's to come, companies must be flexible enough to respond to the spiritual needs of every individual customer or risk losing them forever.

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