Blog
Grief, Gratefulness, Gatherings – The Many Challenges of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is this month’s major event, or at least for the majority Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And for those grieving, it can be a challenging time. No matter what your situation is this year…Read More…
Young and Widowed. A Challenging Combination.
If you are a younger person who has lost a spouse or partner, the words “unfair” and “unexpected” are generally at the forefront of your mind when it comes to your grief.
Both are true; younger widows and widowers certainly face unique challenges….Read more.
It’s Summertime, the Light, Fun Season… Unless You’re Grieving a Loved One
Here we are in the midst of summertime. The days are long and from sunrise to sunset, there is an emphasis on enjoying summer fun, with a cheerful smile on your face.
But what if you were just hit with the most awful experience of a lifetime?
All Grief Matters. Your Relationship to the Deceased Should not be Judged. Your Grief is not Forbidden.
Two people may experience the same loss, but one may find that some loss is socially sanctioned or publicly mourned, whereas in another person’s is not. … read more
Father’s Day Grief: Absence of Your Father or Your Child on This Day
I know it’s a tough one. Every June, without fail, Father’s Day is on the calendar. Every year, my grieving clients ask me what to do, how to handle it, and tell me just hard the holiday can be for them. Here is my advice…
ANXIETY! Some Grievers Face High Anxiety Every Day.
For some people, after experiencing the death of a loved one, anxiety is a full-time experience, with little relief in sight… it is even suggested that it could be considered an additional stage of grief.
March Comes in Like a Lion and Goes Out Like a Lamb
There is an old proverb that says that the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, with regard to the weather. Can this be true of grief too? Yes, it can. Here’s how.
When You Want to See a Sign From Your Deceased Loved One
After-death communication (ADC) experiences are certainly not a new trend. They have been around for a long time and in other parts of the world, they are even discussed openly with relatives and friends, without fear of being considered “crazy” or having a wild imagination.
Valentine’s Day After My Loved One Died
Here we are, coming up on another Valentine’s Day. Another Febuary 14 appearing on our calendars and at a Hallmark store near us. And there are just way too many little sugar candy hearts with imprinted sayings dominating the grocery store aisles.
Can Grief Make You Sick? It Sure Can.
Grief can create physical illness. And it’s real. You’re not just imagining things if you don’t feel well. Do you have these symptoms…
When a Close Friend Dies
In life, we often fear the worst – the death of a parent, a sibling, a spouse or a child. We except that if such a death happens, it will be the most difficult, shattering time in our life. We tend to try not to imagine what it would be like for us when a close friend dies. It’s not an experience we can understand until it happens.
It’s Summertime and the livin’s easy … Unless You’re Grieving a Loved One
Here we are in the midst of summertime. The days are long and from sunrise to sunset, there is an emphasis on enjoying the fun of the summer season, wearing a cheerful smile on your face. After all, it’s summertime and the livin’s easy,” as Ella Fitzgerald’s classic song goes.
All Grief Matters. No Grief Should Be Forbidden, No Matter Who the Deceased Is.
Two people may experience the same loss, but one may find that some loss is socially sanctioned or publicly mourned, whereas in another person’s is not.
Grief Can Make You Want to Exercise or Not Want to Exercise
One of the known side effects of grief is a lack of motivation to do so many things. For some, that includes exercise. Others want to over-exercise as a means of distraction or a way to use up the pent-up feelings and energy that comprises grief.
For the majority (not all, but many many) grievers, the last thing they want to do is EXERCISE…
Rise in Fentanyl Deaths Creating More Grief
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.
There are two types of fentanyl…
For the Bereaved: New Year’s Resolutions Can Become Solutions
Welcome, 2023. Some people are still talking about making New Year’s resolutions, keeping them, or breaking them. As a grief counselor, I know that the bereaved want to FIND SOLUTIONS, NOT MAKE RESOLUTIONS. We all want solutions for our grief challenges. How can our resolutions sometimes lead to solutions?
The Importance of Community in Overcoming Grief
More than 5 million of America's children have lost caregivers in the first 19 months of the pandemic alone… As a result, mental health experts believe that the mental health damage from the pandemic could last for a generation.
What to Do to Help a Grieving Friend or Family Member
There are times in our lives when we are either speechless at a loss for words, and times when we think we have said the wrong thing to someone. Grieving is one of the situations which creates these outcomes for us. Read More…
New Children’s Book About Grandparent Loss and Happy Memories
This book is such a heartwarming true story of a grandfather, as told by his young granddaughter Periwinkle. It’s about how he embarked on a mission to ensure that she will always remember him. It’s such a moving story that grandparents may shed a tear and children will learn a beautiful subtle life lesson about loss, memory, joy, and legacy.
During and After Grief, it is Possible to Find Happiness
You can find joy during times of grief. And you should. Staying in the “heaviness” of grief without shifting to some “lightness” is a profoundly uncomfortable way of being.