A Death on “Black Friday”: What is Our Moral Imperative?

Posted on December 11, 2008 - by Norman Fried

By Norman Fried — On November 28, a Wal-Mart store clerk in Valley Stream, New York, was killed after throngs of  Black Friday  shoppers broke down the front doors and trampled over him as they rushed in, searching for post-Thanksgiving Day bargains. The Associated Press reports that the impatient crowd knocked the man to the ground as he opened the store at 5 AM, leaving a metal piece of the door frame hanging “like an accordion.” When told by store personnel that an employee had been killed and that everyone must leave, members of the crowd responded with: “We’ve been […]

Woman Grieves Over Death of a Baby 35 Years Ago

Posted on December 10, 2008 - by admin

Tammy writes in with a question: My friend who is 52 is grieving over a baby she lost when she was 17. She has 2 other children- adults now. But she is suddenly feeling this loss feeling like she was supposed to have 3 children. Is it possible to grieve this far from the death?

Doris Jeanette, Psy.D., author of?Opening the Heart, responds: It is not only possible, but ?helpful, to?grieve any loss that has not been fully?experienced. ?It does not matter how many years ago the original loss occurred.??As a young?mother, your friend may not have been able to fully grieve the loss. She may have blamed herself and as a result shut off her feelings and emotions. Now she?may be ready?to feel the loss and express her emotions. This is wonderful. You can be a helpful?friend?by?supporting?her in expressing her feelings and?emotions?in?healthy?ways. You can also?encourage?her to seek professional help, if needed. ?She will be a stronger and?healthier?person after she processes the loss of her child. Opening the heart is a life-long process and how it unfolds is how it unfolds. Honor her and her healing process.

Widow’s Friends Disown Her After She Finds New Love

Posted on December 9, 2008 - by admin

Anne writes: I lost my dad and husband within a week of each other?three years ago, and life has been a battle. My dearest friends (a couple that my husband and I used to do everything with) won’t accept the fact I am seeing another man and have been for nearly two years. The husband told me the other day never to come back and see them. I have given them space and continue to love and support them, Please help. I am just so sad about it. I have tried talking to them but they won’t. I am also their daughter’s godmother and she is heart-broken her parents are doing this. Help me.

Poem: ‘I Gotta Believe in Something’

Posted on December 9, 2008 - by Cidny Bullens

I GOTTA BELIEVE IN SOMETHING

Caregivers and Happiness: An Oxymoron?

Posted on December 8, 2008 - by Carol O'Dell

Do caregivers struggle with the concept of happiness? People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ~Abraham Lincoln. I find it pretty amazing that this quote is attributed to Abraham Lincoln. He didn’t exactly have a cushy life. According to today’s standards of what qualifies as a “good life,” Abraham Lincoln’s journey would not be considered an easy one–then or now. And yet, we all owe him a great debt. He held America together and changed the course of  history. His words and example still inspire us today. Happiness is a lot about choice. It’s a […]

How to Help a Young Adult With Loss of a Parent

Posted on December 8, 2008 - by Emily McManus

By Emily McManus —

Remembering the Good and Bad About a Deceased Spouse

Posted on December 7, 2008 - by Mie Elmhirst

By Mie Elmhirst — ?

How Yoga Can Help After a Loss

Posted on December 6, 2008 - by Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki

By Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki — ?

Organ Donation Eases Survivors’ Pain

Posted on December 5, 2008 - by Reg Green

By Reg Green —

Ideas for Widows or Widowers with Teenagers who are Grieving the Loss of their Parent

Posted on December 4, 2008 - by Beverly Chantalle McManus

This week’s column was written by my 24-year-old daughter Emily.   I had asked her for suggestions for widows or widowers with teenagers who are grieving the loss of their parent, at the same time the surviving parent is grieving the loss of spouse. My father died nearly six years ago of esophageal cancer, when I was 18 and in my first year of college.   Looking back on that time, I feel as though it happened both yesterday and decades ago.   Death acts as a supernova to memories; seconds stand crystal clear illumined while whole weeks are a […]