For many women this day specifically designed for feminine springtime joy, often triggers grief, anger and tears instead.
Category: Grief
The Gift of Laughter in Grief
Death doesn’t mean we can never enjoy life again. Grief doesn’t equal suspended forward motion. Life goes on, and you do not dishonor the dead by experiencing joy. Laughter heals and restores, and it is possible for joy and grief to coexist.
On Prayer and Suffering
Life comes with problems that insult our expectations. As a hospice grief counselor I walk into sadness on a daily basis. Guess what I hear most often from those who invite me into their pain? Love stories. Their tears are followed many times with laughter as they celebrate in their hearts the attributes of this person they cherished. For those who stayed close to the patient during the last days of their life, they are left with great peace. For those who stayed away, we talk about their regret.
Words Left Unsaid
Sudden death is, by its very nature, unexpected. We all think we’ll have the next moment, hour, day, month, year to express feelings and speak the love we hold for those dear to us. January 3, 2024, ended my chance to say, to my husband, words left unsaid. I was rushing that day, in a…
Just Ordinary People
(a surprise “Rest of the Story” to blog post “Earth Angels and the Jaws of Life”) On August 23, 2023, my husband, Scott, and I heard horrific sounds. We ran toward the sound and ended up aiding the of victims of a three-car crash that happened at the entrance of our neighborhood. We both assisted…
Enduring Love
Valentine’s Day 2024 is my first Valentine’s Day in 44 years without my husband. Please do not feel sorry for me. I’ve received unexpected cards, chocolates, and other expressions of love. And I have a dinner date with the cutest, sweetest 6-year-old little man, who looks a lot like his Bop. Our first date was…
Life Beyond the Pall
Molding the difficult into something new and beautiful is part of the grieving, healing process. Everything has a season. Along with the seasons of joy and celebration come seasons of mourning and loss. These rolling highs and lows are how life works. For each fading flower comes the remembrance of former beauty, love, comfort, and the hope of forward motion.
What is Your Role in Your Marriage?
Are you feeling sad? Feeling lonely? Have you built a facade in your marriage? You need the truth here, the real down deep feelings about how you are really feeling about your marriage. I was truthful with you. I felt dead inside. I couldn’t see the future. I didn’t know how it was going to happen. But I wanted more from my marriage.
The Sudden Exit Club
You, too, will find moments of celebration in your hard journey, if you look for and recognize them. Your momentum may be slow, but you will recover and resume forward motion, even when it is very difficult. The devastation you experience now will give way to lighter moments, like the dawning of a new, sun-filled day. Expect brighter days ahead and hold on to hope.
When Happy isn’t in Your Holidays
You won’t have the energy of previous holidays because loss depletes us emotionally, mentally, and physically. Stop and ask yourself what is most important? What can you do this year? Maybe instead of baking dozens of cookies for friends and relatives, you focus on meeting the basic needs of your family.