“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” – John Green “I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.” – J.R.R. Tolkien “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” – Leo Tolstoy “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” – C.S. Lewis “Grief can destroy you –or focus you.” – Dean Koontz “Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. You get used to the weight, how it […]

Donna’s spouse died suddenly. It wasn’t suppose to happen, yet, was all that she could think of as she coped to accept the reality of the event. For months, she was incapaciated by her grief…unwilling to let go of the deepest regrets and lingering pain. Donna’s reactions were normal. Many people who grieve deeply believe that grief is passive. They believe grief will just resolve itself over time. Others search aimlessly for a cure. They want to believe there is some magic potion their physician can give them that will cure the pain, forever. Some grievers expect that someone will […]

Long before my grandkids moved in with us, I was aware of empty nest syndrome. I had experienced it with my daughters and remember how lonely I felt in a quiet house without my daughter’s chatter. Both of them are enrolled as entering college seniors, and living their own lives. And I am an empty nester again. In the six years that have passed since my twin grandkids lost their parents in separate car crashes, I have become re-acquainted with teenagers, learned some new jargon, learned about new customs, and learned that I need my grandkids more than they need […]

The shock of major events, such as the Oklahoma tornado or the Boston bombing, can be overwhelming, even when we are miles away from the event. The anger, shock, grief we feel for our fellow humans rock our boat like great waves on the ocean. Those waves are actually huge emotional energy surges, and they well up within us because we don’t know how to wrap ourselves around what has happened. The event is just too big to comprehend. Dr. Deepak Chopra suggests that at such times you focus your attention on your heart and just be with what you’re […]