Found 25 results
A Cold Case State of Mind On most Fridays from 5:00pm to 11:00PM, I am parked on the couch or in my bedroom, watching the “Cold Case” marathon on the ION channel. This seven-year television series revolved around a dedicated … Continue reading
“Why me?” “Why now?” They are questions that many bereaved ask when they come to our support groups. I’m sure many wish that Gary and I could gaze into a crystal ball, and assure them there is a reason to … Continue reading
Dr Gloria Horsley of the Open to Hope Foundation interviews Shep Jefferys at the annual Association of Death Education and Counseling
After our elder daughter died in 2007, my husband and I searched for ways to keep her spirit alive. Our daughter, a composite engineer with an MBA degree, was 45 years old when she died. Like every parent who has … Continue reading
For most people, Mother’s Day brings to mind bouquets of sunny flowers in pink hues, often-obligatory brunches, and lingering in the aisles trying to find the perfect greeting card to sum up gratitude for a lifetime of love and care. … Continue reading
“I’m having a Mother’s Day Tea,” my friend Becky said on the other end of the phone line, “and am inviting some of our writer friends and a few of the ladies from church.” My heart dipped. Six weeks into … Continue reading
Dr. Melhem is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been studying trauma and bereavement in children for the past decade. Her publication in the September issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry looking at the … Continue reading
After our elder daughter died in 2007, my husband and I searched for ways to keep her spirit alive. Three other family members also died, my father-in-law, brother, and former son-in-law. We sobbed for them all. Days became weeks, weeks … Continue reading
I have had several dreams since my daughter Jeannine died in March of 2003. Through further exploration with a dear friend of mine whose passion is projective dream work, I have discovered that the lessons revealed have always been relevant … Continue reading
Courtney Armstrong shares 6 tips to help with healing at the annual Association of Death Education and Counseling.
BURNOUT can be described as an erosion of the soul, a feeling that regardless of what a person does, they cannot make a difference in their workplace. Burnout is often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, a loss of motivation, and … Continue reading
When I got the call that my husband had died, the only sound I could hear was a piercing wail making its way with disturbing efficiency throughout the house. That shriek was an immovable savage that sucked the air out … Continue reading
When my four-year-old son Daniel died, I grieved my own loss, and for my other children. My daughter Rachel was only six at the time. With her brother’s death, she lost her best friend. As I was thrown into the … Continue reading
Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent, according to Gloria Horsley, PhD and founder of Open to Hope. She made this observation on a radio talk show. Since the worst thing has already happened … Continue reading
Our last Mother’s Day together you bought me a hammock. I remember your excitement as I opened it and my anticipation as you gleefully put it together. We all tried it out of course, each of us one at a … Continue reading
I speak to national and local groups about loss, grief and recovery. Last week I spoke to a group of Elder Network volunteers in my community. It was a small group, a dozen people gathered around a central table. The hour-long … Continue reading
Our youngest son, Clint, died at the age of 20 in 2005. During the early times of my grief, a bereaved mom suggested that screaming was a good outlet for tension. She recounted her screaming sessions. Try as I might, I could … Continue reading
Question from a reader: When I was 12 years old, my best friend in the whole world died, one month before her 12th birthday. She was in the swimming pool playing that game—you know, who can hold their breath the … Continue reading
Without you, my world seems too big. I don’t know how to fill the space that was you. I only know sometimes I get lost in it. The space left by you seemed to mock me. It followed me relentlessly. … Continue reading
At the age of 16, Carl David suffered the loss of his 22-year-old brother by suicide. In his words, “The effects on myself and my family were devastating, beyond description. We had but two choices; to pull together or tear … Continue reading
So many people get stuck when it comes to comforting someone who is grieving. They don’t know what to say. They don’t know what to do. So they send flowers, they bring over a casserole for the already filled to … Continue reading
Joy Berger talks about music in her life and the role it has played in her healing. Association of death Education and Counseling, ADEC
Have you ever noticed how vivid our personal stories become in our minds over time? The more we tell them to others, the more we re-play those memories, the stronger they seem to become. We do a lot of that … Continue reading
A week or two ago, a beautiful dove built a nest in a palm tree next to my house. It was nestled in a space where a palm frond had been, and there she sat on two white eggs. None … Continue reading
Gabrielle Michel is an interfaith minister, spiritual counselor, Grief Recovery Specialist and the Founder/President of Graceful Grieving, Inc., nonprofit organization. She’s a compelling, relatable writer and speaker on the topic of infant and pregnancy loss. Though the subject is dark … Continue reading
