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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 […]

Love the Second Time Around

Posted on May 24, 2013 - by Abel Keogh

Dear Abel, My wife passed away a little over a year ago. We were married for 17 years. I started dating six month after she died. After dating around for a bi,t I finally started dating someone exclusively last month. She’s a great woman and I feel fortunate to have such a smart, attractive, and wonderful woman to get to know better. The problem is that I can’t sort out my feelings about her. I like her, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know if I’m love with her or just happy to have someone in my life again. […]

Against The Winds of Grief: My Thoughts on The Oklahoma Tragedy

Posted on May 22, 2013 - by David Roberts

Nature and all that it encompasses can bear many blessings. A glorious sunset, a gentle rain and a cool breeze can soothe us even in the most tumultuous of times and perhaps even provide valuable teachings that promote clarity on our life’s journey. Nature can also be an relentless and destructive force as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, the Joplin, Missouri tornado, and most recently the tornado that ravaged Moore ,Oklahoma. In addition to the widespread destruction of homes, 24 individuals, including 8 children, died and another 273 were injured, leaving a community and nation grieving and again searching […]

Oklahoma Emotions: Let Your Inner Wisdom Guide You

Posted on May 22, 2013 - by Donna Miesbach

The shock of major events, such as the Oklahoma tornado or the Boston bombing, can be overwhelming, even when we are miles away from the event. The anger, shock, grief we feel for our fellow humans rock our boat like great waves on the ocean. Those waves are actually huge emotional energy surges, and they well up within us because we don’t know how to wrap ourselves around what has happened. The event is just too big to comprehend. Dr. Deepak Chopra suggests that at such times you focus your attention on your heart and just be with what you’re […]

Faith Lift

Posted on May 22, 2013 - by Mary Elizabeth Robinson

There is nothing more important or powerful in our lives than our faith. I have had a wonderful experience about a presence more powerful than ourselves. I have seen the movies, books and specials through out the media world about life after death, God, the Divine Source and Heaven. It is an amazing and mysterious subject matter, which captures the attention of millions no matter what faith they practice. My life has been embraced by heaven. I have been able to realize the connections with our loved ones who have passed away are never broken. After the loss of my […]