Articles

by Eleanor Haleyhttps://whatsyourgrief.com In grief we think a lot about triggers – those cues in the world around you that leave you doubled over with a surge of grief. It could be a song on the radio, the smell of perfume, unexpectedly stumbling across something with their handwriting, seeing a family out after a graduation when this is the year they should have graduated, and on and on. We've, of course, written about coping with grief triggers because they're such a common...

by Jason Tuttlehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552174684952Dear Zachary,     I’ve been sad more than normal lately. I thought I was doing OK, but life decided otherwise. It also does not help that my job has been ramped up and more stressful than normal. I feel like I don’t have an outlet to relieve some or any stress. Sure, writing does help, but I need something more. I am not sure what that “more” is. Usually, spending time with you helps relieve a lot of...

by Vince Gill I know your lifeOn earth was troubledAnd only you could know the painYou weren't afraid to face the devilYou were no stranger to the rainGo rest high on that mountainSon, you work on Earth is doneGo to heaven a shoutin'Love for the father and sonOh, how we cried the day you left usWe gathered round your grave to grieveI wish I could see the angels facesWhen they hear your sweet voice singGo rest high on that mountainSon,...

by David Wood Dear Ones, Though I don’t know you, my heart breaks for the loss of your child. It doesn’t matter how old he or she was, or how he or she died, or whether death was sudden or long in coming. Your son or daughter is gone forever. There is no pain like the one you’re feeling. You are now in the club no one wants to be a member of: that of parents whose children have died....

by Lisa K. Boehmhttps://www.lisakboehm.com My daughter Katie and me on our last family holiday   You were only 17 years old with a lifetime of possibilities ahead of you, Katie. The pain of losing you was unbearable in the beginning; my heart was shattered into a million pieces and and my mind was consumed with grief. How could this have happened? Why did it have to happen to you, my sweet girl? As I struggled to come to terms with my...

by Maria Kubitzhttps://www.aliveinmemory.org For nine months you and I were inseparable. Our bodies and souls intertwined. Your life began its long journey as you grew inside me. And as you grew, so did my profound new sense of purpose. A mother’s purpose. On that wondrous day you were born, you left everything you knew behind. You entered this unfamiliar, bright new world and cried out; desperately searching for a familiar voice and a comforting touch. You quickly found your way to...

by Angela Millerhttps://stillstandingmag.com Photo Credit: Angela Miller This morning as I was drying my hair I felt the all-too-familiar feeling of my heart lurching up into my throat.  Anxiety— it’s as normal to me now as breathing. My littlest guy slept all night without a peep.  I, of course, had to go in three (or maybe more) times between the hours of 7am and 8am.  Just to make sure his little chest was moving up and down, breathing in and out,...

by Deb Del Vecchio-Scully, LPC, NCC, CMHShttps://www.goodtherapy.org The death of a parent is a loss like no other. Our relationships with our parents shape the fiber of who we are. Without them in our lives, a significant piece of our identity may irrevocably change. When unresolved feelings or even estrangement remains, the loss of one’s parents can be even more complicated. Becoming an adult orphan can be one of the hardest life transitions a person can experience. For me, the loss of my dad felt...

borrowed from www.griefincommon.com After the loss of a parent, especially one who may have lived to a more advanced age, there often follows predictable attempts at comfort: “He lived a good life” or “It’s the natural order of things” or, “You were lucky to have him for so long”. I was guilty of this. In my early days of making phone calls as a bereavement coordinator, I’ll admit to creating expectations of how the griever on the other end of the phone would respond, based on the...

by Eleanor Haleyhttps://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-support-systems/ Nothing puts a person’s support system to the test quite like a crisis. When the clouds of hardship dull the glare of more happy and carefree times, a person often sees their support system accurately for the very first time. For some people, this is a reassuring experience, as they find their support system is similar to what they had assumed it would be. For others, it's a bit, shall we say, disconcerting. Many grieving people find that...

by Donna Rotherthttp://seeingthestrals.com/?p=1694 “I think about calling a friend sometimes, but I’m not sure anyone wants to spend time with me right now.” “My coworkers look nervous when they ask me how I’m doing.” “My family was really supportive at the beginning, but now they don’t even mention the baby and what happened.” Humans are social creatures.  We need each other.  We mingle in all kinds of family and work groups and have developed complex interdependent systems to take care of...

by Julie Gentzhttps://timeinabottle.blog We all have to pull the cord and deploy our parachute sometimes to help us make safe landings when we face struggles and trials in life. When that moment comes, it’s important to have people in our lives that “pack our parachute” — the people who help us make it through tough times in so many unsung ways. Life is busy and we don’t often stop to think about who those people are or the little things...