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How to Live Through Intense Grief

Posted on July 22, 2014 - by Dena Clayton

Loss has been a prevalent theme intersecting with my life over the past six weeks. In this time, there have been four deaths of people whose lives have touched me warmly: my sweetheart’s precious mother; a beloved cousin; a compassionate former colleague; and, a man whose contagious smile I first remember when we were both kids and our families attended the same church. As well, one friend’s adult step-daughter and another friend’s father died during this time. I wish I could hug all of the people grieving their losses. I bow to their beautiful spirits of Fran, Connie, Estelle, Danny, […]

Adult Sibling Loss: Interview with Dr. Brenda Marshall

Posted on July 22, 2014 - by admin

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Dr. Brenda Marshall about adult sibling loss. Brenda got into this field when her younger brother Brent died eight years ago. It was then that she realized there’s not very much support for siblings. That realization called on her to ask the question “Why?” and “What can I do about it?” I asked Brenda why she thinks people don’t understand how significant a sibling loss is. Hear Brenda’s response in the video below. Here are some key takeaways from the video: For one thing, a lot of […]

Heaven…When Malaysian Plane Arrives

Posted on July 21, 2014 - by Paula Ezop

Darkness spread throughout heaven…and, all of heaven was filled with sadness…the moment when God heard his children on Malaysia flight number MH17 cry out for help…and, the angel choirs were silent…and, God wept openly for his children… God wept openly as he heard from the pilots, flight attendants, and passengers on the plane that was headed for destruction on that fateful day. His children were crying out for help. The angels stood in silence…and God cried out in anguish! His anger filled the air and for but a moment, the world fell silent as God’s children looked straight into the […]

The Malaysian Airlines Crash: Reflections on Grief After Tragedy

Posted on July 20, 2014 - by David Roberts

This past Thursday (7/18/14), Malaysian Airlines flight MH 17 was hit by a missile while flying over the Ukraine. All told, 298 individuals from 11 countries, including 80 children were killed. Recalling My Past When I first heard of this tragic event, I immediately recalled the terrorist attack involving Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988. Pan Am Flight 103, a London to New York flight, exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. A total of 270 people were killed, 259 of which had been on board the plane and another 11 had been killed from the debris that hit the ground. […]

Teens and Homicide: Interview with Dr. Tashel Bordere

Posted on July 19, 2014 - by admin

At the annual ADEC (Association of Death Education and Counseling), I spoke with Dr. Tashel Bordere about her work with teens and the effects of homicide on their lives. In the video below, Tashel shares some of the most important things she has learned during her work with teens and homicide. Here are some key takeaways from the video: Youth are very disenfranchised in terms of not getting a lot of the services they need. This stems from myths and stereotypes that youth don’t have feelings surrounding the multiple losses they have experienced. Tashel says one of the main things […]

Life Moves Ahead: Discovering the Freedom to Go With It

Posted on July 12, 2014 - by Charles W. Sidoti

This article was written by Charles W. Sidoti and Rabbi Akiva Feinstein. It is an excerpt from Living at God’s Speed, Healing in God’s Time. Our world and our individual lives are in the process of evolving. It is not a question of rejecting the past but of letting the past flow into the present and letting this process guide us as to how to live in the future. –Jean Vanier, From, Becoming Human Pope John Paul ll, speaking to church leaders about the mission of the church, once said, “We are not here to guard a museum, but rather to […]

The Hand-Knit Shawl, a Linking Object and Labor of Love

Posted on July 11, 2014 - by Harriet Hodgson

My husband was in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit for weeks. Our minister came to visit him and she had two bulging gift bags. One contained a brown, hand-knit shawl for my husband and the second a blue hand-knit shawl for me. Anonymous members of the church Caring Crafters group made the shawls and the gifts touched my husband. He wouldn’t let his shawl out of his sight. “Where is my shawl?” he would ask, looking worriedly about the room. “That’s a special gift and I don’t want to lose it.” Day shift and night shift nurses became aware of […]

My Sister Died and I Waited 16 Years to Deal With It

Posted on July 7, 2014 - by Molly Gandour

I never expected to make a documentary film about my family. I didn’t think of myself as someone who had a story to tell. My sister had died when I was ten years old and by that time her illness seemed pretty normal to me. Aimee was diagnosed with leukemia when I was two years old, so I grew up always knowing my older sister was sick. One of my earliest memories is playing with the toys in the hospital waiting room while she was in the examination room getting a spinal tap. When she died in 1994, I became […]

Victory Over the Pole: Learning to Let Go

Posted on July 7, 2014 - by Nan Zastrow

An intimidating 30-foot pole occupied a notable spot on the challenge-learning course. The facilitator explained that we were to climb the pole. The pole was manufactured with heavy metal staples that created a “ladder”-effect. Once we reached the top of the pole, we were supposed to mount the disk that was attached at the top, stand, turn to face the group—and, then, jump! Why would I climb a pole if I didn’t have to? The truth was—I didn’t want to. But this pole stood in my way—representing a barrier between God and me, between the world and me; and perhaps, […]

July 4 in Minnesota Lifts Spirits

Posted on July 4, 2014 - by Diane Dettmann

With the grueling winter behind us, I, like most Minnesotans, cherish these hot days of summer. Families gather for picnics, hang out at their lake cabins, and squeeze in every bit of outside time they can. Minnesota may be known as the “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but on America’s Independence Day, it becomes “The Land of Endless Parades.” All over the state, people gather in their communities to celebrate the Fourth of July. Our small town of Afton, Minnesota, is no exception. Afton, just fifteen miles east of downtown St. Paul, is a step back in time. Unlike our […]