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Father’s Day After a Daughter Has Died

Posted on June 18, 2023 - by Lo Anne Mayer

Father’s Day After a Daughter Has Died Father’s Day in our house is a mixed blessing. Even though some of our six children and 13 grandchildren will come to celebrate, my husband, Ray, is still very conscious of the empty chair that would have been occupied by our daughter, Cyndi, who died tragically almost 18 years ago. The hole is Ray’s heart comes up in conversations only once in a while these days. His eyes grow sad but there are no obvious tears. Just a quiet faraway look in his eyes. All of our conversations are divided into two sections […]

When a Couple Grieves Differently: After a Child Dies

Posted on June 15, 2023 - by Sherry Cassedy

Mom and Dad Grieve Differently The death of a child is a devastating loss for anyone; it is even more difficult for a marriage. For the marriage to survive, both partners need to work through their own grief while, at the same time, allowing space for the other to grieve. If the partners blame themselves or the other for the loss, grief becomes not only isolating but conflicted. Other complications surrounding the death—an accident, illness, or suicide—can make it even more difficult for the couple to find compassion for one another. Some limited research and plenty of anecdotal evidence tells […]

Prayer for an Empty Chair

Posted on June 13, 2023 - by Brandi Reyna

Dear Empty Chair, We hold a place for you, Where you used to be, As we glance over and remember what used to be. The memories we cherish fondly and sometimes we remember with our tears, Tears because we miss you after all these years. We remember fondly the celebrations, the holidays, and the meals together as a family. While we still celebrate and have meals together, there are others in our lives now who haven’t met you, and we wish you could have been here to meet them. But God had other plans for you, And over time, we […]

Father’s Death Triggers Grief of Sibling-Loss

Posted on June 5, 2023 - by Judy Lipson

Father’s Death Triggers Grief My beloved father Benjamin Lipson passed away in 2011, one week before the premiere of Celebration of Sisters, an annual fundraiser to honor my beloved sisters Margie and Jane. Conflicting emotions, breaking heart — and what do I do about the event? Deep down I knew the answer. The event must go on. Thankfully, the first Celebration was not a skating event, so I did not have to perform on the ice. However, I needed to speak. Somehow, I mustered up the courage to honor Margie and Jane. Raw from the loss and touched by the […]

Guiding a Child Through Parent-Loss: A Mother’s Story

Posted on June 5, 2023 - by Dr. Carol Leibovich Mankes

Guiding a Child Through Parent-Loss Losing a parent is a profound and challenging experience, especially for children. The loss of her beloved father forever changed my daughter’s world when she was just 10 years old. The emotional road she has traveled in seven years has been a rollercoaster ride, filled with moments of both strength and vulnerability. In the immediate aftermath of her father’s passing, my daughter was confronted with a whirlwind of emotions. As her mom, I had the daunting task of giving her the sad news. I made a decision, right before his passing, of allowing her to […]

Life Changes After Pregnancy Loss

Posted on May 29, 2023 - by Colette Kenny Verdes

In the midst of the pandemic, after giving up trying for a second child, I found out that I was pregnant with our daughter quite by surprise. I remember looking out the window of my bathroom out to my backyard as I waited for the test results. I could see my Mother Mary statue in the corner where I keep it, and I felt remotely calm. I was grounded in the reality that at 44, my chances of being pregnant naturally were slim to none. But then I looked down and saw two lines. My heart was beating, and my […]

Understanding Compounded Grief and Ways to Cope

Posted on May 23, 2023 - by Jacqui Coombe

There are so many things to enjoy about life. Hand in hand with this enjoyment is the fact that there will sometimes be tough periods in life. These periods will see individuals saying goodbye to family and friends, moving cities, leaving jobs or even losing beloved pets. While everyone will, at some stage of their life, experience grief, this feeling will be processed differently. Some may move through the stages of grief quickly, meanwhile, others seem to flounder. When dealing with grief, it’s important to note the different types of grief that people can experience, the associated symptoms and of […]

Nurturing Oneself After a Homicide

Posted on May 23, 2023 - by Lori Grande

Developing practices of nurturing oneself after a homicide can ignite internal equilibrium in response to external chaos. These strategies may not change the circumstances of life. They can, however, foster the experience of stability in the midst of what ails the mind and heart, sprouting hope within the soul. Embrace Your Loving Self Homicide initiates survivors’ compartmentalization of their lives; instantly bombarded with both the feelings of and responsibility for being a griever, an advocate, a seeker of truth/answers, an instinctual retributor, and a support person to one or another family member. In the midst of the rapid unraveling of […]

Deciding to Let Go

Posted on May 23, 2023 - by Stan Goldberg

Recent discussions of whether California Senator Dianne Feinstein should retire ignore one of the most important elements that affect decisions about retiring: The willingness to assume a new identity. Identity is an amalgam of one’s history, beliefs, and behaviors. A significant portion of the mix involves one’s job or profession. Eliminate it–as suggested to Senator Feinstein—and you become a new person. In this article, I list five questions to ask yourself if you contemplate retiring or are dissatisfied with how your retirement is going. When It’s Time to Let Go Have you ever asked yourself when is it time to […]

Compassion for Grieving Moms on Mother’s Day

Posted on May 17, 2023 - by Judy Lipson

Grieving Moms on Mother’s Day Happy Mother’s Day Month to all the mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers. I want to acknowledge and show compassion to those who have lost a child, grandchild, or mother — the grieving moms on Mother’s Day. My wish for you is to find some peace on the day, take some time for you, and know you are not alone. Perhaps there are memories to recall, a new tradition to create, or a space that works for you to be alone. My go-to activity, my meditation, is ice skating. I glide across the ice and troublesome […]