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Does It Matter That She’s Drunk? The Grief of Alcoholism

Posted on October 28, 2024 - by S. Dione Mitchell

She’s Drunk “Wait! What am I supposed to be doing now?” from my mother during a board game. “So you don’t like gumbo?” […from my mother to a relative for the 10th time in the last 30 minutes] While solemn remarks are being shared about a matriarch of our family, an unsolicited and loud, “And you used to beat me!” […an untrue statement from the side of the stage in an effort to be funny, followed by uproarious laughter from her singularly.] Leaning over to pick up a Christmas gift from under the tree, down she crashed like a fallen […]

Keep Child’s Memory Alive Through Words and Celebrations

Posted on October 27, 2024 - by Louise Lagerman

Keep Child’s Memory Alive Four years ago, I lost my beautiful 23-year-old daughter, Keren. Therefore, I know firsthand how painful it is to lose a child. At first, I really didn’t think I would survive, and almost didn’t. I knew I needed help and reached out through the internet to find other grieving parents, who would understand my pain and grief. I needed to know that I was not alone. At that time, I couldn’t bring myself to attend a grief group, or even leave my house. I felt that I could barely stand up because I was so weighed […]

Grieving Through the Holidays

Posted on October 24, 2024 - by Catherine Tidd

Grieving Through the Holidays I know I’m not the only one who is feeling the effects of the season. Grieving during “normal” times is a full-time job. Throw in 2 or 3 holidays back-to-back and whatever milestones we might have in the middle…well…we’re all working on nervous breakdowns of epic proportions. I think one of the cruelest things about the holidays (and this may just be me) is that we’re dealing with something we used to look forward to so much. And it’s turned into something we can barely get through. My first Christmas without my husband was definitely the hardest. […]

You Know You’re a Widow When…

Posted on October 22, 2024 - by Linda Della-Donna

You Know You’re a Widow When You know you’re a widow when… At the end of a good day, you bust out crying for no particular reason. At the end of a bad day, you burst out laughing for no particular reason. And at the end of every day, you crawl into bed and sleep on His side. You refuse to throw away His toothbrush, His razor, His bar of soap. Because you think He’ll need them. The sight of His bathrobe hanging on a hook on the back of the bathroom door reduces you to tears, but you refuse […]

Five Myths About Crying

Posted on October 15, 2024 - by Bob Baugher

Five Myths About Crying Myth #1: Crying is a sign of weakness. This is truly a cultural attitude, not a truth. Crying is an individual response to a physiological, emotional, or spiritual state of being and is neither a sign of weakness nor strength. Crying for some requires great strength and courage while for others, not crying requires the same things. For some, crying or not crying comes easily. Myth #2: Crying shows you care. Tears are often used as a measure of how much a person cares. Because people don’t cry, does this mean they don’t care? Some […]

An Introduction to Crying

Posted on October 14, 2024 - by Bob Baugher

An Introduction to Crying Crying is a mysterious and often misunderstood phenomenon. As an introduction to crying, it can be defined as a way to express grief, pain, anger, joy or other emotions by tears, voice or both. We humans secrete a host of fluids that no one wants to see. Tears are pretty much the only secretion that people around us will tolerate; and even then, their acceptance of our crying behavior depends upon many complex factors. You’ve heard people say, “Crying is normal.” Yet, every day people are chastised, criticized, ridiculed and put down for their display of […]

Finding Light in the Darkness

Posted on October 14, 2024 - by Gloria Horsley

Finding Light in the Darkness: A Message of Hope and Healing In times of profound struggle and emotional turmoil, it’s easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed. However, Sue Frederick, a renowned spiritual guide and author, offers a powerful message of hope and reassurance for those experiencing what is often referred to as “the dark night of the soul.” She helps us in finding light in the darkness. The Dark Night of the Soul: Understanding Your Journey The concept of the “dark night of the soul” has its roots in spiritual and mystical traditions. It describes a period of intense spiritual […]

New Normal After a Son’s Suicide

Posted on October 13, 2024 - by Jean Williams

New Normal After a Son’s Suicide Five years after my son’s suicide, I stood at my picture window and smiled at the snowbirds that hovered around the feeder. They spit fluff from the seeds and it floated down, scattering hulls on the ground. A flit of wings and a brown sparrow darted along the grass. After the snowbirds left, I became surprised the sparrow didn’t fly to the food. It continued to eat what fell from the other birds’ beaks. I pitied the feathered creature. It had failed to see there was now room to eat from the bird feeder. […]

Death of an Ex-Spouse

Posted on October 10, 2024 - by Marty Tousley

Death of an Ex-Spouse Dear Marty: I’m not really sure how to explain how I feel after losing my ex-spouse a month ago—especially since he died the same day that I was having major surgery. Consequently, after the death of my ex-spouse, I’ve had quite a few complications from my surgery. I had to take care of my two teenage boys and their grief the morning after surgery when I got the phone call about their father. The funeral (which was put on by his new young wife) was about the last four years of his life and didn’t talk […]

Is Climate Grief Real?

Posted on October 7, 2024 - by Linda Goldman

Is Climate Grief Real? Although research on climate grief is in its infancy, researchers have begun to substantiate the impact of climate change on young people and their mental health. The U.S. government’s National Climate Assessment cited mental health concerns as a side effect of climate change, and the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement warning that climate change poses threats to “children’s mental and physical health (Pautz 2020).” Thanatologist Kriss Kevorkian has defined environmental grief as “the grief reaction stemming from the environmental loss of ecosystems by natural and man-made events (Rosenfield, 2016).” Cunsolo and Ellis define […]