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A Different (But Good) Father’s Day

Posted on June 9, 2013 - by Eric Tomei

Father’s Day is the day that I least look forward to on the calendar. I know what you’re saying, “Come on Eric, Father’s Day is 4 months away.” Absolutely right, but bear with me. As all of you know you have lost a loved one close to your heart, it could be a birthday, anniversary or any other special day that triggers the memories of that particular individual in both a good way (remembering the past), and bad way (no more memories to create for the future.) Father’s Day just happens to be my day. My […]

When My Grandkids Come Home Joy Returns

Posted on June 7, 2013 - by Harriet Hodgson

Six years have passed since my adult daughter died. During these years my husband and I were their legal guardians and fiscal conservators. The twins, one boy and one girl, were 15 years old when they moved into our home. They graduated from high school, entered college, and are incoming seniors today. Since they are legal adults, they are pretty independent, and do not share all of their plans with us. This is as life should be. We are the home they come home to, and when I hear one of the twins or both, is headed home I become […]

Father’s Days After a Husband Has Died

Posted on June 7, 2013 - by Catherine Tidd

My son recently asked me the question I have been WAITING for one of my children to ask for years. “Mom, how come you get a Mother’s Day and we don’t get a day?” Haven’t you been waiting all of your adult life to answer that question just like your parents did? “Because every day is Kid’s Day.” I never understood that as a child, but now as the mom of three small children, I wish I had a tattoo across my forehead that said it. I would be a hit at Chuck E. Cheese. Have you ever noticed how […]

I Finally Wrote THE LETTER to my Deceased Daughter

Posted on June 6, 2013 - by Harriet Hodgson

For six years, I had heard about and read about the practice of writing a letter to a deceased loved one, and not mailing it. According to grief experts, writing a letter helps you to heal. Writing the letter also helps you to let go. Bob Deits, author of Life After Loss, says this is the most difficult letter you will ever write, and it demands your best. I agreed with his points and, though I was impressed with his wisdom, I did not write THE LETTER. This idea had become a giant billboard in my mind, with the words […]

Father’s Day Tough for Those Who Lost Child

Posted on June 5, 2013 - by Sandy Fox

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers. Today is your day, and I hope you celebrate it with loved ones. Many fathers react differently to this day depending on where they are in their lives; it may be especially difficult for a father who has lost a child. One bereaved father wrote this poem: As this day approaches, I wonder how I will react. Am I still a father? I will sit quietly never allowing family and friends to see how I feel. I will miss my son, but I can’t allow myself to “break.” I must remain strong and always […]

Widow Learns Where To Go From Here

Posted on June 4, 2013 - by Donna Miesbach

Even though I’d heard the expression, “Whenever a door closes, a window always opens,” I didn’t see how that could apply to my life after losing my husband, but it did. Then, not long after my husband died, I lost both of my parents, too. I was just feeling so lost, with no sense of direction. Not knowing what else to do, I started asking, “What do You want me to do now?” The first door that opened was the opportunity to study with Dr. Deepak Chopra and other highly recognized teachers. Those studies led to my certifications for teaching […]

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 […]