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Ode to an Urn Maker: Commemorative Urns of Eliza Thomas

Posted on July 18, 2016 - by Katherine Relf-Canas

Ceramic artist Eliza Thomas has a unique practice of creating commemorative urns and offering them to those grieving a loss. Hearing of this work, I was intrigued, and tried to track her down. When we finally meet at Caffe Borrone in Menlo Park, we are just a short walk from Stanford University. Next door neighbors to Kepler’s Books, Borrone’s is also not far from longtime haven of progressive education, the Peninsula School, where Thomas has taught Nursery-8th grade art for 35 years. Creating Connections Deep human connection is a thread that you’ll find expressed in one way or another in […]

Homesick This Summer: Widows Miss Their Men

Posted on July 17, 2016 - by Luellen Hoffman

A few days ago, I boarded a flight to St. Louis to visit my son who had recently moved there for his job. As I sat in my seat, a white-haired lady walked down the aisle of the plane, and she had a big smile on her face, like she was glad to see me. Her shirt was a light denim blue and it had little rhinestones in vertical lines, like sparkly tear drops, and her slacks were summer white. She reminded me of a family friend. She sat down next to me and told me her name was […]

Getting Through Those Triggers!

Posted on July 15, 2016 - by Gabrielle Doucet

When we lose a loved one, the time we spend dealing with sadness surrounding that loss can vary daily, hourly or even minute-by-minute. As time goes by, the expectation we have and what generally occurs, is that the sad thoughts spread themselves out further and further apart. We learn to adjust to life moving on and us having to move with it. Simply said, but not easily done. What happens to us emotionally, and how we manage the “triggers” that follow our “adjustment to life” can be another matter entirely. What is a trigger? This is an occasion, an event, […]

The Starriest Night: van Gogh’s Grief Illuminates Ours

Posted on July 12, 2016 - by Sue Trace Lawrence

As a psychology professor, I am fascinated by the works of great artists. These creative individuals can be those in visual arts, music, or literature. I believe that anxiety and depression, maybe all forms of human suffering, can be expressed through creative pursuits. Sigmund Freud used terms such as catharsis and sublimation to describe the emotional release we can sometimes experience by expressing our thoughts and feelings. How awesome to do this in a way that creates beauty for the world, in a manner that might bring joy and peace to those who experience the work? One of my favorite […]

Deborah Antinori: Pet Loss

Posted on July 10, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Registered nurse and licensed professional counselor Deborah Antinori joins Dr. Heidi Horsley to talk about pet loss, one of the most disenfranchised losses. She’s also a drama therapist and grief counselor. There are practical and emotional issues surrounding pet loss. When you lose a pet, it’s similar to any other kind of loss. Sadness, tearfulness, depression, and anxiety are all common. Pets are with you every day, and when they’re gone it feels like something is very wrong. You might feel angry with yourself—should you have taken them to the vet sooner? It’s easy to blame yourself, your vet, and […]

After Father’s Death, Daughter Recalls His Deep Devotion

Posted on July 9, 2016 - by Cheryl Espinosa-Jones

My father was an activist who devoted his life to one principle: that God is love. He once told me that he was a Christian because he was born in a Christian household in a Christian culture and it might have been otherwise if he’d been born in, say, the Middle East. His belief in the power of love was so all inclusive that when I, in 1971, revealed I was a lesbian, he never said one negative word to me. It was only after his death that I saw his writing, in which he struggled with whether he had […]

Mothers and Daughters Working Together in the Healing World

Posted on July 9, 2016 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley interview a fellow mother-daughter team, Susan Rice and Jodi Wass, at the National Alliance for Grieving Children conference. Working as mother and daughter presents some unique scenarios. It’s an exceptional feeling and an honor according to Rice. As an RN who’s worked in the field her entire life, Rice never expected her daughter (counselor and therapist) to also join a grief support network. It wasn’t planned, but the two went through grief training close to the same time. Working together has been a “fabulous experience.” For the Horsleys, it also wasn’t planned. Dr. Heidi Horsley […]

Judy Rooney: How to Help your Child Grieve

Posted on July 8, 2016 - by Gloria Horsley

Helping your child grieve is one of the toughest things you can do. Dr. Gloria Horsley interviews Judy Rooney about this difficult strategy. She works with the Willow Center, a peer support program that offers free support groups for kids and the adults caring for them. They also offer Camp Erin for grieving teens and kids. Rooney facilitates the parent group, and finds that the biggest challenge is simply how to help their child. As an adult, you need to help yourself first, and that makes you better able to help your children. Getting men to group is even harder. […]

Angela Melvin: Parent Loss

Posted on July 6, 2016 - by Heidi Horsley

Angela Melvin is with Valerie’s House, a non-profit organization in the Naples area of southwest Florida. She’s the founder, and Valerie was her mother who was killed in a car accident 25 years ago. There were no services at that time, and very few now. She knows exactly what it’s like to be a grieving child, and is now committed to making sure no other child is in a similar situation. She recommends helping children cherish the memory of their loved one. Children shouldn’t be ashamed or like they’ll upset their surviving parent if they bring up the loss. Adults […]

Lost (and Found) at Sea: On Grief and Holidays

Posted on July 4, 2016 - by Sue Trace Lawrence

Today is July 4, a holiday for most people in our nation. One of the problems with grief, though, is that it rears its ugly head frequently during special occasions. Whether it is watching others celebrate or being reminded of past events including our loved ones, holidays and other milestones seem to coax out the feelings of loss that we try to bury during our regular days. For me, this date reminds me of my childhood picnics; although largely positive, these recollections also trigger mournful feelings as I am reminded of how much I have lost. Recently, I discovered an […]