Jason B. Rosenthal: The journey through loss and grief
傑森 B. 羅森索: 失去與哀悼的旅程
When Jason B. Rosenthal's wife died, he says: "as clichéd as it sounds, I started working on living each day as it comes, to get through the complexities of life." Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
that explain why I am here.
為什麼我會在這裡。
在家中安寧療護,
published an article she wrote
on March 3, 2017.
《摩登情愛》專欄。
by over five million people.
about our life together,
在寫我們一起的生活,
Want to Marry My Husband."
「你可能會想要嫁給我先生」。
on a personal ad for me.
an empty space for me to fill
艾米都是我的太太。
three wonderful, now grown children,
他們現在都已長大,
of our life together.
音樂佔了很大一部分。
up until her last day.
直到她的最後一天。
with our daughter Paris,
帕里絲一起寫的書
on the "New York Times" bestseller list.
暢銷書排行榜的第一名。
were not that long.
且她的電影也沒那麼長。
to gather people together.
呈現她天生善於把人聚集在一起能力。
and adults of all ages
及各種年齡的成人,
in the sense of it being rather public.
那點就是:它是公開的。
was not my story alone.
and I'm so grateful for that.
我對此心懷感激。
into my new life,
part of the process of moving forward
是我帶著悲慟
I think it would be important
about the end of life,
emotionally since then.
吃完了她的最後一餐。
we could do hospice at home
我們能讓她在家做臨終安寧,
would shrink to half her body weight,
艾米的體重只剩下一半,
with her husband again,
她的丈夫同床共眠,
would soon feel like running a marathon.
很快就變得像跑馬拉松一樣。
a beautiful environment to die in.
在美麗的環境中離開人世。
the sounds of machines beeping
drug administration,
有家人陪伴在身邊。
as meaningful as we could.
to happen to them, like, for sure,
about it was liberating.
讓人覺得很解放。
possible to our children in her absence.
我要如何為孩子們扮演最好的爸爸?
she gave me confidence
I had with each one of them,
都有很棒的關係,
can make decisions together.
we organized groups of visitors.
我們安排了訪客群。
even as she began her physical decline.
即使她的身體狀況已經越來越糟。
of Amy and of us.
和關於我們的美好故事。
on her loyal friends.
造成了很大的影響。
for the surviving family members.
居家安寧並沒有那麼美好。
and tell you that to this date,
個人化的事,那就是,至今,
final weeks that haunt me.
to the bathroom,
compared to Amy's frail body.
我的手臂看起來且感覺起來好健康。
在我們的家中衰竭了。
在我們的床上過世。
out of my head.
through the hospice experience,
曾經經歷過臨終安寧的人,
to have those memories
if they ever want to talk about it.
可以隨時找你。
living each day with those lasting images.
過日子的人有所連結,是很好的。
but I've never been asked that question.
但從來沒有人問過我那個問題。
to experience grief in a public way.
以公開的方式經驗這段悲慟。
wrote beautiful words of reflection.
他們用美麗的文字寫下他們的想法。
was deeper and richer
比我們和她的家人所知道的
with the intense grieving process
協助我度過這段強烈的哀悼過程,
from a woman reader
but that really is not my issue.
但我並沒有酗酒問題。
this note from a family friend:
寫的文字時,我是笑中帶淚的:
how to make cornbread croutons.
creativity in croutons."
油炸麵包丁中找到創意。」
after Amy's death,
with Parkinson's disease.
can the human condition handle?
一個人能夠承受多少?
of dealing with this intense loss
這麼強烈的失去,
和我那麼棒的孩子?
is a lifelong mission,
尋找這個答案是一生的任務。
I have done just that.
and seek the joy and the beauty
尋求我知道這個人生
is capable of providing.
and events honoring Amy,
that way during those times?"
來面對那些時刻?」
apply to other surviving spouses,
也都會有那些感受,
有個詞叫「shoji」,
between life and death
that connects the two.
wonderful, vital parts of life,
美好的、充滿活力的部分,
we want to get rid of,
as I move forward with grieving.
我盡力而為去擁抱這個概念。
following Amy's death, though,
would be ever-present,
to receive some promising advice.
收到了很棒的忠告。
lost her life partner kept repeating,
人生的另一半,她不斷重覆:
what she was talking about.
very public permission
from time to time.
at an LCD Soundsystem concert,
音響系統聽音樂會時跟著起舞,
or with a college buddy on a boys' trip
或和同事伙計來一趟男孩之旅,
I never met before.
但很棒的先生們。
beating down on it on a cold day,
我的甲板上有陽光照射,
stunning children.
with an older gentleman
較年長的男士的照片,
and the caption, "I just met Popeye,"
「我剛遇到了大力水手卜派」,
walking to the train
after graduating college,
back at me and asked,
"You are 100 percent ready. You got this."
準備好了。你沒問題的。」
through Battersea Park in London,
倫敦的巴特西公園,
on our way to yoga.
陽光在閃耀著。
is also there to discover,
美麗也在那裡等著被發掘,
(註:不完美的美學)
in this category, I want to say,
這類事物時,我想要說:
你聽到了嗎?
for you not to share with me."
Manchester Orchestra album,
最新的專輯中,
into "The Sunshine,"
of Luke Sital-Singh's "Killing Me,"
「要我的命」,有種難忘的美麗,
that you're not here with me.
but I'm feeling guilty."
that life has to offer,
那些簡單時刻裡,就有美麗,
that was so much a part of Amy's DNA,
艾米 DNA 的一部分,
reflecting off of Lake Michigan,
how the light shines
noticing the fresh buildup of snow
注意到在整個街坊中
that I'm a very fortunate person.
我是一個非常幸運的人。
that loves and supports me.
他們愛我、支持我。
during my time of grief.
我有資源可以做個人成長。
with your intentional empty space,
你也會面對一個全新的開始,
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jason B. Rosenthal - Advocate, artistWhen Jason B. Rosenthal's wife died, he says: "as clichéd as it sounds, I started working on living each day as it comes, to get through the complexities of life."
Why you should listen
Jason B. Rosenthal writes: "I have practiced law and developed real estate in Chicago for half of my life. But that is only what I did 9 to 5. What made me better at my profession -- and as a human being getting through each day -- was realizing my thirst for learning and doing. I practiced yoga intensely; I traveled the world with my wife and my family; I learned to paint and made a home studio; and I developed a passion for cooking. I would not have called myself the most passionate student when I was in school, but in my adult life I have read with a thirst for knowledge -- everything from the most meaty fiction, fascinating nonfiction and magazines. My family is what makes me who I am today.
"I was married to the most amazing woman for half of my life. We raised three incredible children in Chicago, a culturally vibrant and livable city with people of good midwestern values. When my bride died of ovarian cancer after 26 years of marriage, I got in touch with real pain. I immediately reevaluated my life's work. I had talked for years about whether my chosen career path gave me real fulfillment. I am now the executive director of a nonprofit organization created in Amy's name, the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation. I am fueled by its mission to provide programs that encourage child literacy and funding for early detection of ovarian cancer. My future is a blank space waiting to be filled."
Jason B. Rosenthal | Speaker | TED.com