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A Sign From Mom at the Holidays

Posted on October 6, 2011 - by Megan Prescott

In 1987, when I was eighteen years old, my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia two weeks prior to Christmas. We brought Christmas to her in her hospital room that year in the midst of her chemotherapy, complete with a homemade turkey dinner. What I couldn’t have imagined then was that in eight short months my mother Nancy would pass, to be followed only three weeks later by my brother Adam in a car accident. In the months to follow, I thought a lot about a specific conversation I had with my mother mere days before her […]

Now I See: Grieving and Raising My Grandchildren

Posted on October 5, 2011 - by Harriet Hodgson

“You’re coming home with us,” I said. My husband and I and our twin grandchildren were standing by the hospital’s emergency entrance. Tragedy had found us again. Nine months ago, their mother (our daughter) died from the injuries she received in a car crash. Their fatherhad just died from the injuries he received in another car crash. It was beyond belief. While each year has its triumphs and tragedies, 2007 was a really hard year. My daughter and father-in-law died the same weekend, my brother died a few months later, and now my former son-in-law was gone. Like the words […]

Letter to Family After a Death

Posted on October 4, 2011 - by Mary Westra

Dear Extended Family of Peter, Christmas is over. We made it. Now we await his birthday, the anniversary of his death, other Christmases, wedding, other funerals. We sincerely thank you for your greetings and gifts though we did not send any to you this year. You have asked what you can do to help us. As you know, grief does not end. You surely must miss him too. After all, you knew him when he was a babe in arms, had gangly legs and arms, funny teeth, stupid antics. You can help us by talking about Peter, with us or […]

Terminal Grief

Posted on October 3, 2011 - by David Roberts

My life as I knew it ended on May 26, 2002, when my eighteen-year-old daughter Jeannine was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare, aggressive and incurable form of cancer. Jeannine died on March 1, 2003, at the age of 18, approximately ten months after diagnosis. When she was diagnosed, the experience itself was surreal. In the blink of an eye, I went from the everyday joys of being a parent to a vibrant daughter to the horror of having that same child diagnosed with a terminal illness. My subsequent research revealed that the five-year survival rate for her cancer was […]

Her Faith Pulled Her Through Series of Losses

Posted on October 2, 2011 - by Mary Elizabeth Robinson

It’s been eleven years since I stood next to my dying brother’s bed and stroked his hair, trying to give him comfort in his time of need. He and I were both certain the end was creeping in just as day turns into evening. We knew it, but never spoke of it. I was standing there in another moment of a flood of emotions. I, of course was feeling miserable, as this was the very last time I would ever see my brother alive. The last time I would talk to him or hold his hand. Yet my inner strength […]

‘Happy’ Holidays? Not for the Newly Bereaved

Posted on October 2, 2011 - by Karla Wheeler

This holiday season, an estimated one in 20 Americans will be grieving the loss of someone dear. And for some bereaved folks, the loss is so profound in their lives that they shudder at the thought of celebrating anything, especially a season that is supposed to be merry and jolly. If you are dreading the upcoming holiday season because your loved one has died, please take a deep breath. Help is on the way. Know that your feelings are normal and there are a number of things you can do to ensure you and your family will get through […]

Did My Cat Go to Heaven?

Posted on October 1, 2011 - by Marty Tousley

Question from a reader: I have been grieving the loss of my cat for some time now, and the pain does not go away. I am still very sad and wondering what kind of help you can give me. I keep thinking—did my Mittens go to heaven or not? I had a very tight bond with this cat. I miss her companionship every day and I miss her so much. My response: I’m so sorry to learn of the death of your beloved cat Mittens, and I offer you my deepest sympathy. Having lost my own beloved Tibetan terrier Beringer just […]

Whispers of Love, Signs of Hope

Posted on September 30, 2011 - by Mitch Carmody

If you have lost someone close to you and suffer with that loss, you may have wished for, prayed for, expected and or anticipated some sort of supernatural experience that would validate your belief that there truly is life after death. I believe that somehow our loved one who has moved on in spirit can communicate to us in some form or fashion, and that it can bring us a peace that can be found no other way. I believe we live in one sphere of existence, our departed loved one lives in another, but we can meet at the […]

Poem: We Promise to Remember

Posted on September 29, 2011 - by Janet Grimes

Dear Children, We promise to remember your eyes so blue The joy in your faces that remained so true. Your hair so blond, it seemed almost white The way you hid behind your parents, acting so shy. We promise to remember your bashful grins and quiet chatter The way you spoke to each other, as if no one else mattered. The way you loved each member of your family With lots of hugs and kisses; the way it should be. We promise to remember that you’re with Jesus now. Two perfect angels, with wings and with crowns. The three of […]

Letting Go and Moving Forward

Posted on September 29, 2011 - by Carl Mathis

Let’s face it: we all have negative or bad experiences that we just cannot seem to get past. There are just certain things, that when remembered, always cause anxiety and anger to build up inside us. And we have to admit that sometimes we just don’t want to let go of these negative emotions and memories. Why? Do we want to feel like we’re the victim? Do we need to even the score before we let go? The truth is, holding on to negative emotions, feelings, thoughts, or experiences drag us down. It drags us down mentally, emotionally, and sometimes, […]