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Poem: My Anna, My Angel

Posted on March 3, 2011 - by Janet Grimes

Across the room, I feel your touch. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Above the silence, I hear your laugh. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Through the night, I see your face. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Stretching into the morning, your heart beats with mine. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Your presence invites me to a place we can be together. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. How my Jesus must adore holding you in His arms He loves you more than I do. So impossible, but true. My Anna, my […]

‘I Have Him in My Mind’: Maintaining Connection After a Loss

Posted on March 3, 2011 - by Lori Wood

Not long ago, I watched an HBO movie entitled, Temple Grandin. It is the true story of a woman who is autistic. The cast and movie won 7 Emmy Awards and Claire Dane won the Golden Globe award for her portrayal of Temple Grandin. I was intrigued with the insight of this woman. She turned what some look at as a handicap into a gift. In her teen years, she was enrolled at a boarding school where the science professor takes a special interest in her. He discovers the unique way her mind works. Temple has a special talent with animals […]

Playing Hide-and-Seek with Grief

Posted on March 2, 2011 - by Harriet Hodgson

The church service had just begun and the congregation and guests were greeting one another. A friend, who knew four of my family members died in 2007, approached me and asked, “How are you?” “I’m good,” I replied. “How are you?” Widowed a year ago, my friend replied, “Oh, I’ve found that grief hides. When you think it’s gone, you find yourself crying.” I understood her comment. After losing my daughter, father-in-law, brother, and former son-in-law, there have been many times when grief reached out and grabbed me. These moments happen without warning and take me by surprise. I expect […]

What Are Your Triggers?

Posted on March 2, 2011 - by Kelly Farley

I have to be honest; it’s been a while since anything has “triggered” an intense emotional response. These responses are much fewer and farther between than in my early days of grief. After the death of my daughter, Katie, I wouldn’t even allow myself to respond to the triggers. I had trained my mind to “change the thought or situation” immediately. It was my way to control my feelings and pain, which, looking back, wasn’t the best decision on my part. After the death of my son, Noah, I had no choice but to allow myself to feel the full […]

The Party I Never Wanted to Attend

Posted on March 1, 2011 - by Alice Wisler

Have you ever not been invited to a party? Everyone you know gets an invitation. You wait for yours. It never arrives. The day of the party comes and goes. No one even called at the last minute to say, “Oh, so sorry. I’m not sure what happened to your invitation, but please come.” You think of all at the party, having fun without you. You don’t feel as lovely or as important or loved. You second-guess your friendships. You wonder if it is your fault for not being the friend you thought you were. On the other hand, have […]

My Aaron

Posted on February 28, 2011 - by admin

Thru the years we had our ups and downs. Then stigma people put on some for being addicted to drug is horrible. My son had gotten “clean” but then relapsed while with a “friend”. Things had gotten so GOD between us over the past year or so. We talked and laughed and became close like never before. On 7/20/10 2 police officers knocked on our door at 5:51 am with the horrible news. My son was gone, I can not fucntion as I used to I can not ever be the person I used to be. I miss my son […]

Widow Vows Not to Become Bitter

Posted on February 28, 2011 - by Paula Ezop

There is one thing that I am vehement about, and that is I do not want to become a bitter old woman. I see so many widows who become bitter and lonely. They seem to succumb to their loneliness, and lose their zest for living. I can see how easy it would be to become bitter, but I have vowed that I will not. Is this something that is easier to say than to do? I don’t think that it is. I know for certain that you have to maintain your sense of humor. I know for certain that you […]

Returning Home After Seven Years of Widowhood

Posted on February 27, 2011 - by Susan Reynolds

Like the prodigal son, we go to far-flung places when we are grieving. We may splurge on time alone or insist on being with others continuously. We may splurge on items we never owned before or insist on keeping every item from the past. We may splurge on thoughts of the past and insist on keeping things the way they used to be. I am returning home. After almost 7 years of widowhood, moving 3 times and challenging myself to meet new opportunities and others, I have moved again to Atlanta. No, Atlanta is not a place I ever laid […]

Childhood Grief Can Emerge Decades Later

Posted on February 27, 2011 - by Susan Berger

A woman came into my office yesterday. She looked exhausted, and explained that she wanted to consult with me about her 91-year-old mother who had recently been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer ’s disease. She is the primary caregiver and had missed quite a lot of work recently due to her mother’s needs. She is a research biologist at Harvard Medical School working under a grant that will expire in a year. She said she didn’t know what she would be able to do. “I’m fifty-six years old, and I have to think about another career.” I asked her to […]

‘Stumbling in the Darkness’ After Loss of Daughter

Posted on February 26, 2011 - by Cynthia Ranyak

As I sat there in the waiting room of the oily garage just outside of Sevierville, TN, anticipating the very long drive home to Florida, my 18-year-old daughter was flipping through racing magazines and telling me all about her new friend. Emily had only one real date with him, and I knew that they were making plans for both of their high school proms. Emily was beaming with new facts: telling me how his college major was going to be in business so he could be a racing manager for his best friend, who was going to be a Formula […]