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grief and hope

My Run-in with the Divine

Posted on June 16, 2025 - by Heidi Gessner

My Run-in with the Divine As I drove teary-eyed in the twilight, I panicked, how in the world did I wind up here? How did my life end up like this? This wasn’t how I imagined my life would be when I was younger. In that very instant, I had an incredibly intense feeling that someone was in my car with me. So much so, that I whipped my head around to look in the back seat to see who was there. Of course, I was alone, but also, not-alone. I sensed something or someone with me — intangible, yet […]

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Communications at the Edge of Death

Posted on June 16, 2025 - by Heidi Gessner

Communications at the Edge of Death There is an incredible story about how Tiffany got her new lungs. First, she was on the donor waiting list forever. Then one day she got a call that there were lungs available for her. After many tests and lots of preparation, Tiffany bravely went underwent surgery for her new set of lungs. Lying in her hospital bed, after her operation was over, every orifice of her ravaged body was plugged into a machine. She couldn’t move or speak, since she had a tube down her throat breathing for her. Yet Tiffany felt grateful […]

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Norman Rockwell Moment

Posted on June 16, 2025 - by John Wenderlein

Norman Rockwell Moment The reason I named this short story “Norman Rockwell Moment” will become apparent at the end of my story. So, you’ll have to read it to the end to find out. As a Hospice Chaplain, there are times I’m on call overnight for several nights a week. It was early one morning when I heard my phone ringing. You see, I set it close to my side of the bed to ensure I didn’t miss a call and wouldn’t wake up my wife. A little about how I act when I’m on call: I find that I […]

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Twenty Years after the Death, Mother Honors Her Child

Posted on June 9, 2025 - by Janice Bell Meisenhelder

Twenty Years after the Death As bereaved parents, we need encouragement to remember and honor our children as often and as long as we wish. There is no time limit on grieving. Any time is appropriate to bring attention to the memory of a loved one. In my initial years following the physical death of my 19-year-old daughter, Melissa, unspeakable pain overwhelmed my life. Although I functioned, heartbreak ruled my existence. Ever so slowly color began to mingle with the darkness of grief. Now, twenty years after the death, the tapestry of my life is filled with peace, joy, love, […]

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When Both Parents Die

Posted on June 3, 2025 - by Sweta Vikram

When Both Parents Die May is when most people start to plan their summer vacations; May is the month my heart pounds louder than anything I have ever heard. It’s the month I lost my parents 9 years and 3 days apart. It’s the month my father-in-law passed away. In May 2023, my father and my husband’s father died 2 days apart, one day shy of Mom’s 9th death anniversary. I know, my story sounds like an episode from a horror show. There’s something peculiar about becoming parentless when you’re already “grown.” People assume it’s easier. People who haven’t lost both […]

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A Hospice Chaplain’s Heart: Miss Lilly’s Story

Posted on June 3, 2025 - by John Wenderlein

A Hospital Chaplain’s Heart Working as a hospice chaplain, there’s never a dull moment. This is true for every patient who comes to our service. You pray, you say, and you do the right thing to give people peace at the end of their lives. My patients have been told they have limited time left; for some, they are more than ready to go. For others, they fight this reality. I want to share with you Lilly’s story. Sometimes, patients or family members opt out of having a chaplain visit during their stints in hospice care. There are various reasons […]

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Grief is a Teacher, Teacher Says

Posted on June 3, 2025 - by Dolores Cruz

Grief is a Teacher It had been only six weeks since my 24-year-old son was killed in a car accident. That amazing young drummer who charmed most anyone he met with his good looks and kind personality, the one with the sparkle in his eyes that hinted at a bit of mischief, the one people were drawn to by his charismatic personality, the one who never in 24 years hesitated to hug his mom in front of his friends and audibly tell her he loved her. Yeah, that one. His physical presence was now gone, and though my raw grief […]

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Handling Grief Triggers

Posted on June 3, 2025 - by Linda Henderson

Handling Grief Triggers Triggers are a natural and inevitable part of grieving. It is essential not to avoid them, as not all are negative. When we find ways to prepare and cope with triggers, we are honoring the lives of our precious loved ones. Triggers are anything that causes the emotions of Grief to transport us back to moments that feel as vivid as the day of loss, reminding us of our weakest point. Triggers creep around every corner and attack without warning. Have you ever been going about your day — grocery shopping, taking the kids to school, showering, […]

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Illusion of Truth in Grief Journeys

Posted on June 3, 2025 - by David Roberts

The Wisdom of Age As I become older, my view of the world and the people who inhabit it has evolved.  I would like to believe that growing older has allowed me to acquire more wisdom because of, in part, my own actions and choices as well as those of others whose paths I have been allowed to witness. The wisdom that I have today has also been due to the teachings that I have discovered as a result of the challenges presented by my eighteen-year-old daughter Jeannine’s death in 2003, as a result of cancer.  Those teachings have allowed […]

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Mother Finds Comfort Saying Daughter’s Name

Posted on May 29, 2025 - by Harriet Hodgson

Few ask how I’m doing these days. Friends have resumed their lives and so have I. Today, I’m living a new, meaningful and happy life. Yet there are times when the pain of losing my daughter in 2007 hits without warning. Suddenly, I am transported back in time and see terrible images from the hospital emergency room. Since these mental pictures drag me down, I consciously switch my thoughts to positive pictures, such as my twin grandchildren graduating from high school. I’m glad I learned how and when to do this. Though we all go through grief, Americans tend to […]

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