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Learning How to Smile Again

Posted on June 3, 2013 - by Maria Kubitz

When my daughter died, the pain was so overwhelming, the thought that I could ever feel any ounce of happiness again seemed ridiculous. In those early days of grief, the mere idea of being happy didn’t just feel impossible, it felt wrong. During the first year after her death, I recall an evening when my husband insisted I sit down with him and our three boys and watch a funny show on TV that we had watched regularly as a family for years. My husband was able to recognize that in the wake of their sister’s death, our boys needed […]

10 More Grief Quotes

Posted on June 3, 2013 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

“Death ends a life…but it does not end a relationship, which struggles on in the survivors mind…toward some final resolution, which it never finds.” — Robert Anderson “In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself in a dark wood For I had lost the right path.” -Dante “One of the ways we heal ourselves is to create meaning in our suffering.” –Victor Frankl “There is only one way for you to live without grief in your lifetime; That is to exist without love. Your grief represents your humanness, Just as your love does.” – Anon “Resolution is […]

A Father’s Love is Eternal

Posted on June 3, 2013 - by Jane Simington

When I was a child, I loved to spend time with my father. Being the youngest girl in a large family, I learned early in life that if I wanted his undivided attention, it was up to me to be with him when he was alone. One misty morning as I tagged beside him on his walk to the far pasture, I heard my first echo. As my dad called to the cattle, his words returned. Fascinated, I tried. What I sent, I received. Numerous times throughout my life I have pondered the Law of the Echo. What we send […]

10 Quotes About Grief

Posted on May 31, 2013 - by Neil Chethik

“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” – John Green “I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.” – J.R.R. Tolkien “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” – Leo Tolstoy “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” – C.S. Lewis “Grief can destroy you –or focus you.” – Dean Koontz “Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. You get used to the weight, how it […]

You’ve Got the Power to Heal Your Own Grief

Posted on May 30, 2013 - by Nan Zastrow

Donna’s spouse died suddenly. It wasn’t suppose to happen, yet, was all that she could think of as she coped to accept the reality of the event. For months, she was incapaciated by her grief…unwilling to let go of the deepest regrets and lingering pain. Donna’s reactions were normal. Many people who grieve deeply believe that grief is passive. They believe grief will just resolve itself over time. Others search aimlessly for a cure. They want to believe there is some magic potion their physician can give them that will cure the pain, forever. Some grievers expect that someone will […]

When Should the Wedding Ring Come Off?

Posted on May 30, 2013 - by Abel Keogh

Hi Abel, I’m interested in starting to date causally again. I’ve read through your posts and understand that most women feel uncomfortable dating a widower if he’s still wearing a wedding ring. My question to you is this: Instead of taking my wedding ring off, what if I wore it on my right hand instead of my left? Would that still make them uncomfortable? Thanks, G. Dear G: Wearing the wedding ring on your right hand instead of your left is definitely a step in the right direction but odds are it’s still going to make most women uncomfortable—especially if […]

Raising Grandkids: I’m an Empty Nester Again

Posted on May 28, 2013 - by Harriet Hodgson

Long before my grandkids moved in with us, I was aware of empty nest syndrome. I had experienced it with my daughters and remember how lonely I felt in a quiet house without my daughter’s chatter. Both of them are enrolled as entering college seniors, and living their own lives. And I am an empty nester again. In the six years that have passed since my twin grandkids lost their parents in separate car crashes, I have become re-acquainted with teenagers, learned some new jargon, learned about new customs, and learned that I need my grandkids more than they need […]

Oklahoma Deaths Trigger Memories, a Sense of Blessing

Posted on May 28, 2013 - by Radha Stern

As used to my own grief as I am, every time I am aware of another life lost to less than a full life, my heart sinks and breaks again. I know loss and its hurts. I have been that puddle in the middle of the floor. The person whose tears seem like rivers and you cannot see the end. Now, 17 years later, 17 years after my son, Christopher, was murdered, I stand tall and happy. I feel hopeful for all my days ahead, and even though I would love Christopher to be with us, I know he never […]

An Insulated Heart: Feeling For Oklahoma Victims

Posted on May 26, 2013 - by Christine Thiele

Right after I was widowed, my heart was raw. It was wide open, exposed, and vulnerable to all and any heartache that I saw and heard. It didn’t matter if that tragedy was near or far. If I heard it, saw it, read it, my heart ached for those involved. My empathetic senses were turned up to full power. If I heard of people losing loved ones, I was ripped back to my early moments of loss and sadness. It truly was like going back to square one and experiencing my own loss of Dave as if it were the […]

My Deathbed Scene: More Life Lessons After The Death of a Child

Posted on May 24, 2013 - by David Roberts

My Reasons for Journaling Are Different Now I am a firm believer in creating and maintaining a written journal after loss or other life altering transitions. Journaling is a way to put uncensored thoughts and feelings on paper. Journaling also helps us to assess the amount of progress we have made, no matter how large or small. We can empower ourselves to keep the contents of our journal private or share them with whomever we feel most comfortable. There are no specific rules that govern this process, only those rules that make the most sense to us given our current […]