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Little Token, Big Meaning

Posted on February 15, 2009 - by Eric Tomei

You know sometimes in life the littlest thing can make the biggest difference. It can be the words you have been longing to hear, the smile from that special person you have been waiting for, or a token of someone’s gratitude for a job well done. This past Thursday I gave a mini presentation to a local Jaycee group about my mission to raise $1 million for Habitat for Humanity through the sale of my book I Miss My Dad… First, the Jaycees are a nationwide organization who’s sole purpose is to help people in need. They help […]

Journaling My Grief Experience

Posted on February 15, 2009 - by Beverly Chantalle McManus

By Beverly Chantalle McManus My birthday took place a week after Steve died. Although I did not feel like celebrating, my family members thoughtfully brought some gifts over, one of which was a journal. At the time, I gave it little thought. I was so consumed with grief, shock and pain, and the idea of sitting down to write couldn’t have been further from my mind. However, a few months later, as I began to settle into my new life without Steve, I started panicking at times, because given how my entire memory bank now seemed to be completely fragmented, […]

‘Weaving the Arts’ Grief Conference Set in Colorado

Posted on February 13, 2009 - by admin

Below you will find information on an upcoming, experiential learning conference focusing on the use of creative therapies to address issues of grief and loss. This conference is being hosted by Pathways Hospice: Programs for Grief & Loss (formerly known as The Hospice of Larimer County). Early registration?is now open until March 1, 2009. The conference dates are May 15-17, 2009. Go to http://www.hlchospice.org/Grief_Programs/Weaving-the-Arts.php for more information and online registration. Combining creative art therapies with grief theory is a powerful way to address grief and loss. This conference offers a way to expand awareness of the effectiveness of integrating the […]

Friends Keep Pushing to “Get Over” the Loss

Posted on February 13, 2009 - by Norman Fried

From Mary: We lost our most precious son Nov 14, 2006. He was 27, a firefighter, preparing for his wedding, had just bought a house on five acres, was so enjoying his life. He lived with us till a year before. We talked to him every day and saw him almost every day. He was my baby and my pride and joy. I miss him so badly, I cannot function. I am so tired of people telling me to move on! My life is over, my future is over, why can’t they understand this? What can I say to people […]

Time Doesn’t Heal, But it Softens the Blow

Posted on February 13, 2009 - by Sandy Fox

By Sandy Fox When a person talks about an important year in his/her life, or a news show on TV asks what you were doing on a particular date, I always think of my daughter, Marcy. The year 1966, when she was born, is the most important. What was happening in the world then? Vietnam War. President Johnson. The Beatles. Twenty-five cent hamburgers. I associate every year between 1966 and 1994 with Marcy and what she was about then. If the year is before 1966, it is “before Marcy was born.” If I’m told to think of the year 1984, […]

What’s Really Important

Posted on February 12, 2009 - by Eric Tomei

Many times in life we don’t realize who is in our lives, and the important role they play in our lives, until they are no longer there. It is so easy to go by day after day and go through the same routine, with no conscious thought as to how others in your life might be doing or what they are going through. No matter what you are going through at any time in your life, always know there probably is someone going through tougher times in their life. Do not take these people for granted, because […]

Grief Rituals Can Help on Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 12, 2009 - by Marty Tousley

We’ve barely made it through the holidays of December and January, and now the stores are filled with hearts and flowers and candy, all of it in celebration of the gift of love. But February 14 can be a difficult day for those of us who are grieving, and for some it will be the first Valentine’s Day since our precious Valentine died. For us there is no celebration; there is only grief. Sometimes, for fear of “letting go,” we may find ourselves “holding on” to our pain as a way of remembering those we love. Letting go of what […]

From Heartbreak to Happiness

Posted on February 11, 2009 - by admin

(Note: “From Heartbreak To Happiness” reprinted with permission by Aurora Winter) Most of us are looking for love in all the wrong places. When a relationship ends, whether it be through divorce, death, or break-up, most people rush out to find someone new. I know — I have done it myself! After my 33-year-old husband died suddenly, I yearned to find a new husband … and someone to be a father figure for our four-year-old son. But the truth is, we can’t just plop a new person into the hole in our hearts left by the loss of someone we […]

Getting Through Valentine’s Day Alone

Posted on February 11, 2009 - by Kira Copperman

By Kira B. Copperman, LMSW — As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are all bombarded with images of romance, relationships and love. Starting as early as January, it seems like every business has something to sell related to romance and is trying to capitalize on and add to the societal pressure created to make February 14th a magical day. For those people who are in love, Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful, memorable celebration but for people who are alone, it can be a difficult, endless day. As Valentine’s Day approaches, negative feelings about being alone may seem unavoidable; sad thoughts […]

Alzheimer’s and Violence, “I Don’t Want Anyone to Know How Bad It Is”

Posted on February 10, 2009 - by Carol O'Dell

Have you stopped having people come into your home because you don’t want them to see your dad/husband or wife “that way?” Are you hiding how awful it really is? Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body, dementia and other neurological based diseases affect the brain in different ways. Some individuals become docile, too docile. They stop talking, and pretty much stop moving. For others, Alzheimer’s turns them into a fidget machine. They pace incessantly, talk, babble, rant, need next to no sleep, and when forced to sit, their knee jiggles non-stop. Others are paranoid and will lash out at anyone who tries to touch them–it’s as […]