Articles

by Litsa Williamshttps://whatsyourgrief.com Almost every time I delete a voicemail from someone I love, I have a thought that some might consider morbid: What if this person dies and I’ve just deleted my last recording of their voice? I know, a little morbid. But having worked in end of life and grief for a decade, I know all too well that people can disappear in an instant. I also know all too well the pain of missing someone’s voice, of...

by Maria Kubitzhttps://www.aliveinmemory.org When you died, the whole world did not mourn you. You were not a celebrity, a world leader, and didn’t make the nightly news. You didn’t invent things that changed the world and will not end up in history books. But you made an indelible mark in our lives and in our hearts. You meant the world to us. You are our spouses, mothers and fathers; our grandparents, sisters and brothers. Our favorite aunts and uncles and...

By Angela Millerhttps://abedformyheart.com Earlier this week we invited you to speak your truth about Mother’s Day.  We were flooded with hundreds of responses: the raw truth about what Mother’s Day is really like for you- grieving moms.  Moms who often feel there is no place for you anymore on this day.  No place for both your love and pain, your gratitude and your sorrow; no place for you as a grieving mother- at Mother’s Day brunches, churches, gatherings and celebrations. ...

by Maria Kubitzhttps://www.aliveinmemory.org The death of a child is so profound, it’s like no other form of loss. There’s no such thing as getting over the death of a child. Instead, bereaved parents must learn to adapt to a life without our child. We must reconcile the reality that we’ll feel some level of pain for the rest of our lives.  This is the long, slow process of healing after the death of a child.  The intense pain in the aftermath of my...

by  Lisa K. Boehmhttps://www.lisakboehm.com You are not alone, Angel Mama. After my daughter died, I thought I was losing my mind. Grief is horrible. It changes every aspect about you - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. You can hardly remember your own name most of the time. You cry non-stop or at random things, you can't sleep, your anger is off the charts, you don't act rationally. I think every one of us feels like we are going crazy.Here's...

by Donna Rotherthttp://seeingthestrals.com   “If we knew each other’s secrets, what comforts we should find.”  John Churton Collins “You know what truly aches?  Having so much inside you and not having the slightest clue of how to pour it out.”  Karen Quan, Write Like No One is Reading   Years ago, sometime after I became an adult, but before I had experienced much in the way of loss, I had a doctor’s appointment with someone who was covering for my regular provider....

by Nancy Berns In a world upended, hurting, and fearful, the pressure is mounting.  As anxiety and tension escalate, we all need to become better listeners. The ability to listen to someone helps that person release the pressure that builds up inside. We can think about stress and anxiety as pressure that needs to escape. In various types of equipment, a relief valve is used to release the pressure that builds up over time. If the pressure is not reduced,...

By Zoe Rockes Years ago, I fell head over heels for an extraordinary human.  On the outside she was confident and kind, but underneath she was struggling.  She shared her broken pieces with me, and I, in turn, learned to share my own.  She made me feel invincible and not so alone in the world.  The timing was all wrong though.  As quickly as she came into my life, she was gone, leaving me drowning in hurt and confusion.  I...

by Julie Gentz The past weekend was filled with family and many wonderful new memories. My oldest stayed overnight and we cooked meals ahead for my granddaughter who is returning to college. It was also “sleep over time at grandma’s” with my 7 and 4 year old grandsons. And, while all of it added up to a lot of activity in two short days, it was an oasis of joy and a touch of normalcy in a world besieged by...

by Angela Miller It’s inside the spaces– the pauses– the infinite stillness– that I most palpably feel the emptiness you’ve left behind. It’s the silence of your missing voice that screams the loudest. It’s every holiday that’s impossible to truly celebrate. It’s the painfully absent goodnight routine. It’s the missing you in every picture of our forever-one-too-small family. It’s the one less set of hands tugging on my shirt. It’s the one missing set of lips not kissing mine. It’s...

song by Patrick DroneyString of lights on the doorWelcome back to your lifeThis is worth living forThere's so much left in storeAnd we don'tGet to chooseWho we get to loveOr who it is we're gonna loseOr what breaks our hearts in twoBut no one really dies if the love remains'Cause nothing that dies really goes awaySee grief, it's just like glitterIt's hard to brush awayBright light and it still shimmersLike it was yesterdayAnd it falls like confettiAll of the memories...

by Julie Gentzhttps://timeinabottle.blog "Grief is like glitter. You can throw a handful of glitter into the air, but when you try to clean it up, you'll never get it all. Even long after the event, you will still find glitter tucked into corners. it will always be there . . . somewhere."  Quote by @irish_cuchulainnSaturday, October 1, 2022Dear Brian,Today you have been gone for a year and a half:18 months;540 days;12,960 hours. Sometimes it seems like an eternity. Other times,...