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Comic Janice Messitte on Being a Newly Wedded Widow

Posted on March 24, 2014 - by Nancy Gershman, LMSW

In the space of two weeks, newly wedded Janice Messitte – stand-up comic, singer and actress – went from planning a dream “Jewnorican” wedding to planning her husband’s funeral. Hear how she used her comic’s wit to survive, as she sits down with memory artist, Nancy Gershman to recall the details. Double check on your husband – especially when he looks fast asleep Mothers: be as happy as your happiest child Don’t beat yourself up for losing the husband on your watch Don’t sap your energy tracing bad luck to a possible curse What audience can there be for a videotape […]

From Malaysia to Syria to the U.S., the World Grieves

Posted on March 23, 2014 - by Sandy Fox

Around the world, we grieve: This past week Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared with 239 passengers and crew members. While the search continues in both the Indian Ocean and the waters between Malaysia and Vietnam, friends and family members from 14 different nationalities are desperately seeking news about love ones aboard the plane: whole families, mothers, fathers and children. Because of all the death and destruction in Syria, thousands and thousands of adults and children are homeless, hungry and desperately sick. The Ukraine, Egypt, Sudan and Tunisia have also witnessed the horrors of war and terrorism. In many African countries hundreds […]

Beyond the Clouds: Reframing the Negative Emotions

Posted on March 22, 2014 - by Kimberly Kirby-Bass

When bad things happen, it is very natural to develop a negative outlook on your life and on yourself. After the loss of a loved one, you may think “I’ll never be ok again” or “I have no hope for my future.” However, hope and a vision for your future are possible when you “flip the script” on how you view and think about your life and your loss. After my mother’s sudden death a few years ago, I talked to a Life Coach and she said that I should create a vision board on what I wanted for my […]

Expressing Emotions Through Crying

Posted on March 20, 2014 - by Sandy Fox

by Sandy Fox There are many ways to express your sadness at the loss of a loved one. I’ve often said that when you cry, you are releasing pent up emotions from the grief you feel. It is good to cry and get it all out. It is good for your body and good physically to get that release for the moment. When you are done, you will feel somewhat better. That doesn’t mean it will never happen again, particularly after the death of someone close to you. You can cry at home alone or in front of others. Some […]

Redefining Your Life After The Loss of a Spouse

Posted on March 18, 2014 - by Ellen Gerst

The inconceivable has occurred – your partner has died. Perhaps, it was sudden and unexpected. However, even if it took place after an illness or at an older age, your loss surely came too prematurely from your point of view. Your life is now changed forever. Consequently, you may feel that you have also lost your purpose and, certainly, you’re confused about what role you should play in the world going forward. For example, you’re no longer a wife or a husband, but you sure feel like one. Through your fog of grief, it can be nearly impossible to envision a […]

Caregiving is an Unavoidable Link to Anticipatory Grief

Posted on March 14, 2014 - by Harriet Hodgson

More than a decade ago I became my mother’s caregiver. Though she lived in an assisted living community, I had many responsibilities and, as mini strokes robbed her of memory, my responsibilities increased. From taking her to medical and dental appointments, to running errands, to going out for lunch, I did something for my mother every day. And every day I wondered, “Will this be the day she dies?” Anticipatory grief became my constant companion. Now I’m a caregiver again. In late October my husband’s aorta dissected and he had three emergency operations. During the third one, 13 hours of […]

Finding Light in the Darkness of Grief

Posted on March 14, 2014 - by Maria Kubitz

Over four years after her death, thoughts of my daughter fill my mind every day. She has now been gone longer than she was alive. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She was supposed to live a long life full of adventure, creativity, and quirkiness. As my only daughter in a family full of boys, she was supposed to be my best friend and confidant. She was supposed to… Whatever she was “supposed to do” was lost the day she died. My dreams for her will never come true. I am left sitting here holding my shattered dreams of […]

God Hears the Prayers of those Dealing with Loss

Posted on March 11, 2014 - by Max Lucado

Derek Redmond, a twenty-six-year-old Briton, was favored to win the four-hundred-meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Halfway into his semifinal heat, a fiery pain seared through his right leg. He crumpled to the track with a torn hamstring. As the medical attendants were approaching, Redmond fought to his feet. “It was animal instinct,” he would later say. He set out hopping, pushing away the coaches in a crazed attempt to finish the race. When he reached the stretch, a big man pushed through the crowd. He was wearing a T-shirt that read “Have you hugged your child today?” and […]

Wag More, Bark Less: Hospitality and Spiritual Growth

Posted on March 10, 2014 - by Charles W. Sidoti

This article was written by Charles W. Sidoti and Rabbi Akiva Feinstein. One of the greatest gifts that can come from working through the grief process is that the goodness we may have received from our loved ones while they were alive can continue to grow and bear fruit in our lives. I once heard someone make the comment, “We need to recognize the losses in our lives that have made us the people we are. We don’t get over our losses…they become us.” I can certainly relate this to losing my dad in 2007. I think of him often and especially […]

Helping Kids Cope with the Death of a Pet

Posted on February 28, 2014 - by Linda Goldman

All too often, pet death is discounted as not important, and those undermining words, “We’ll get you another one,” are offered as a hollow consolation. They diminish the love the child has for their pet, whether it is a goldfish, a hamster, a dog, a cat or a horse. The death of a pet can serve as a “teachable moment” to include children as recognized mourners and prepare them for other deaths or losses that might occur in their lives. The story of Sammy Sammy was Jasmine’s pet dog. He was hit by a car and severely injured with no […]