Tag Archives: grief

17 Years After Tragedy Strikes: In the Midst

This is part 2 of a 3 part series. To visit part 1, click here. As I sat sobbing in the store frightened that my friend was dead after being struck by a truck, the cashier just held me. She offered to call my mom and I gave her the number. I waited around twenty minutes. My mom didn’t come. I decided to head toward home when I saw my mom in the road with Joy and the paramedics. I selfishly felt hurt that my mom was helping Joy and there was no longer anyone to hold me. I learned … Continue reading →

The Things We Remember

For a few days now, I’ve known an old friend of mine was ill. I tried to reach her on the phone, but she was in the hospital and sleeping a great deal and I was always worried about waking her up. I’ve been getting updates on her third hand through a mutual friend and from her sixteen year old son, a boy I’ve known since he was 1. Last night, my friend passed away. I’ve spent the last few days remembering her, remembering how we met, the time we spent together and the things we used to do together. … Continue reading →

The Demise of a Pet

Do you have pets? Have you ever lost a pet? Young or old, we become very attached to our furry friends. For many families, a pet is another member of that family. The loss of a pet can therefore be very painful. It may be especially difficult for young children whom have not yet experienced loss. It’s good to talk about the demise of a pet with your child. You can find children’s books on the death of a pet that may be helpful, but if your child is extremely distraught, you may want to ask your pediatrician for a … Continue reading →

Home and Family: Grief

It’s good to have our families around us when we’re hurting. Having a strong support system in place is important and can be an incredible source of comfort. While we don’t want to burden our children with problems or details, children can be very perceptive and one of the most wonderful sources of healing. Today, my dad would have been 67. It’s the second birthday he’s missed. Last year, I did pretty well, in part, because I had really tried to prepare myself for the date. I wanted to be strong for my brother. I was sad, but I was … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk About Dealing with Grief from Birth Loss

Having something other than your ideal birth can be a painful experience, especially if you truly desired to deliver naturally. Often, women who end up with an emergency c-section feel a sense of guilt, loss, and even failure. Or perhaps it wasn’t a cesarean that you or someone you know is grieving over, but an intervention that you desired to avoid. Sometimes opting for pain-relieving drugs can make a woman feel like she had less of a birth experience than she desired to. My first delivery went very well, and was a successful homebirth. I was very proud of myself, … Continue reading →

Star Gazing

Ralph Waldo Emerson has said, “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” Adversity sometimes feels like it’s surrounding us, darkening our outlook, casting shadows on all that we once believed or hoped. But when we’ve survived enough of it, we are blessed with more and more enlightenment. I’ve always loved star-gazing. Astronomy-buffs know that when you’re really interested in viewing the heavens, you’ve got to go where it’s darkest. Perhaps the mountains, or the desert. You must escape “light pollution,” which is the haze created by the human race–our porch lights, store lights, street lamps, and glowing … Continue reading →

Comfort and Joy

The holidays can be the most difficult time of year for those who have lost loved ones. My husband’s mom passed away five years ago, and the pain is still there and even more pronounced during the holidays. We all miss her very much, and Christmas is the most difficult time for us, because she was so into it. She would get as excited as the kids did about Christmas. She’d call me up just to say, “Two more days! I can’t wait!” Sometimes, she’d get so excited she really couldn’t wait and would start giving our girls their presents … Continue reading →

The Truth about Celia – Kevin Brockmeier

This book is written in a literary style, which I don’t traditionally go for, but as I’m working to expand my repertoire, I thought I would give it a try, and found it fairly fascinating in the way it was constructed. The book is, in actuality, a work of fiction written by Kevin Brockmeier. However, once within the book, you are invited to believe that it was written by the main character, Christopher, and that you are reading a true story. Celia was just seven years old when she disappeared from her own yard. Her father was inside the house … Continue reading →

Coping with Holidays without Your Spouse

Losing your spouse is an incredibly traumatic event, which can be even more painful when holidays or other special dates come around. It is not unusual to dread such occasions or to find yourself filled with emotion and sometimes even anger at being left alone. Grief can do some harsh things to people and can make even simple tasks seem overwhelming. There are a few things you can do to help you get through the most difficult moments. Let yourself grieve. It’s okay to cry or to talk about things that are painful. You don’t have to keep it all … Continue reading →

Discovering A New Angle…

I’m not exactly sure when the perspective shift happened to me. But for parents of special needs children, it needs to happen, and hopefully it does before too much time is wasted. I’m talking about the change in viewpoint that brings us to a happier, healthier mindset in dealing with children who have challenges. The reality is that we can’t wish away or hope away the disability. And we certainly don’t want to delude ourselves and live in denial. “It is what it is.” Prior to getting to the point of acceptance, there’s a lot of pain and turmoil. There’s … Continue reading →