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A Children and Grief Story

Posted on September 12, 2011 - by Sharon Greenlee

My gramma’s grief over the loss of her only child devoured me! To see and hear her wailing and knowing she couldn’t stop was heartbreaking and frightening. Her sadness, and my inability to do anything about it grieved me, possibly as much as the grief I felt for the loss of my mother. I was eleven years old and my mother and grandmother had always been my emotional haven. I felt totally alone! I recalled the words of my uncle on the night my mother died. His reminder that I must ‘be strong for my grandmother because now I was all […]

10 Years Later, 9/11 Memories are Razor Sharp

Posted on September 11, 2011 - by Sandy Fox

Today is the 10th anniversary of the terror attack on the World Trade Center. Our hearts go out even now to the thousands of people who died that day: children, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers and friends. So many people mourned, are still mourning and will never forget the worst terrorist act on American soil. I sincerely doubt whether any of us, whether involved or not, will forget what happened, and we will all remember what we were doing that day when our world changed forever. I had just flown into New Jersey 6 hours prior (we got in very late because […]

Living with an Unexpected Loss

Posted on September 10, 2011 - by Kent Koppelman

It is hard to accept the loss of a loved one after they have been a presence in your life for so many years, especially if they were young and you had expected them to be in your life for many more years to come. I have heard that people who have lost an arm or a leg say they can still feel the missing limb as though it were still attached. I had the same feeling about the loss of my child. For several months after his death, something would happen that would have interested Jason and I would […]

How to Support 9/11 Families

Posted on September 9, 2011 - by Ami Neiberger-Miller

The tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States is likely to stir emotions for the thousands of people in the United States who are grieving the deaths of a loved one who died during the attacks a decade ago. The anniversary also poses an emotional challenge for the families of those with loved ones who died in the Global War on Terror in Iraq or Afghanistan, many of whom enlisted in the military, in part, due to the 9/11 attacks. TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, offers the following tips for those seeking […]

Talking to Your Children about 9/11

Posted on September 9, 2011 - by Pamela Gabbay

It’s hard to believe, but this September 11th is going to be the 10th anniversary of 9/11. For most of us, this milestone anniversary is bound to provoke a lot of powerful emotions. As we remember back to that tragic day, many of us will be filled with images of fear, disbelief, and incredible sadness. In honor of the 10th anniversary, there is likely to be intense media coverage. In the wake of all of this coverage, how can parents help their children understand the significance of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 while at the same time reassuring them and […]

Remembering NYC a Week After 9/11

Posted on September 8, 2011 - by Stan Goldberg

“Daddy, please come,” my daughter said on September 11th. Together, we watched the towers fall. Me, from the safety of my San Francisco home. She, from an office building in Rockefeller Plaza, wondering if her friend survived. In August, I had scheduled a trip to visit her on September 18th. Nationwide, the planes were grounded and I didn’t know when the airports would reopen. But I knew I had get to New York. Mostly to give support to my daughter, but having grown up only100 miles from New York City, I felt an affinity not only with the city, but […]

The 10th Anniversary of 9/11: How You Can Help

Posted on September 8, 2011 - by Mary Jane Hurley Brant

On September 11, 2011, we remember the 10th anniversary of the day when nearly 3,000 victims were killed after two airliners were crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, another plane hit the Pentagon, and a final plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. In 2001, the barrage of bruising images from that fateful day imprinted, pained and wounded our collective psyches. The killing of innocent and unarmed people touched our nation’s heart with universal feelings of sadness and, as a country, we are forever changed. We also didn’t know where to turn with fracturing losses of […]

After 700 Days, a Jury Trial for Man Accused

Posted on September 7, 2011 - by Shirley Wiles-Dickinson

On August 24, 2011, I attended our 8th pre trial hearing for my sister’s murderer. Our first jury trial date was June 7, 2010, only to be continued until June 21, 2010, only to be continued to September 13, 2010, only to be continued until November 29, 2010, only to be continued until March 7, 2011, only to be continued until May 16, 2011, only to be continued until July 11, 2011, only to be continued until September 6, 2011. Yesterday there was no mention of any more continuances. The judge even cancelled her vacation so the jury trial could […]

Voice of Pain Becomes Voice of Comfort

Posted on September 6, 2011 - by Laurel D. Rund

There were so many voices in her head since his death, and they meshed into an angry crowd within her. These discordant sounds pulled her into an abyss called grief. As the voices blended together, she could not hear them clearly, drown them out or turn them off. It was a time of profound sadness and she was uneasy, off balance, in a dark place that didn’t seem to have an Exit sign within sight. At other times, the voice of grief came in at a different frequency ~ like a low, annoying and distracting hum, with no shut-off valve. […]

Widow Reflects on Labor Day and its Complications

Posted on September 5, 2011 - by Kim Meredith

Work is present in our daily lives on many levels. We labor at our formal employment, we toil on building relationships, and we act to keep ourselves fit and healthy. All of these chores fit one of the dictionary definitions of the word work. Each one is a “purposeful effort.” As we are closing in on Labor Day, I find myself with mixed emotions. This symbolic end of summer is usually marked with picnics and barbecues, which I love. Any excuse to eat outside and cook on the grill is fine with me! That means less work and more fun. […]