Metamorphosis: an autoethnographic journey through loss, grief, and perceived identity changes

Abstract

The aim of this article is to share a retrospective autoethnographic journey relating to the death of the author’s husband from bowel cancer. Three key stages of grief and meaning-making are presented and explored through a reflective account of the days leading up to his death, the moment of death, and one year later. Presented as a personal narrative, this article was written to express and share the author’s individual perspective on grief and loss, her coping mechanisms, and the identity changes she experienced, in order to add her insight into how individuals manage their loss and personal grief processes differently.