When life chapters close for others, and their decision impacts us, even indirectly, it sometimes feels like it’s ours. However, remember, it’s about them, not about you.
Category: Grief
The Blank Page
Sometimes, when I sit at my computer to begin writing, I have a kernel of an idea that unfolds gradually. Other times, the idea sputters, dribbling out in phrases rather than sentences, and takes far longer than I like to form into cohesive paragraphs. My favorite writing days are ones that involve a Divine download….
How to Help When the Smoke Clears
You can make a difference. Commit to reach out, show you care, be on hand to listen, support and love the families who have lost so much. You may be the one light they have in the midst of a very dark and stormy sea.
Beyond a Year of Firsts
I wouldn’t be truthful if I said last year was easy, because it wasn’t. Every “first” was a hurdle, each solo experience bittersweet. For months, I felt as if a dense fog covered me as I waded through shock and struggled to move forward. Small tasks felt huge.
The Music of Heaven on Earth
Sunday, I had the joy of singing in our choir Christmas presentation. This year was different. Jim wasn’t sitting in the men’s section. Unlike last year, when Jim remembered his music was still at home halfway there, I got to the church on time. After the presentation, I hugged my family, who were in attendance,…
And Guess What
Many of us don’t like change. We become accustomed to that which is familiar, and when different happens, we fight it rather than accepting. In the last six months, I’ve discovered different is okay, even good, at times. Positives exist in new and different, but we often must look for those positives. Sometimes it’s easier to adopt a negative attitude and drop into a pattern of feeling sorry for ourselves. Even in difficult life seasons, good is present.
When Mother’s Day Hurts
For many women this day specifically designed for feminine springtime joy, often triggers grief, anger and tears instead.
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…