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The Empty Chair Around The Holiday Table

Posted on November 22, 2006 - by

Many Americans will be sitting down together around the dinner table very soon, to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza. These dinners re-enforce a sense of shared family values, a feeling that all is right with the world as long as we can be together at holiday time. But the truth is, all may not be in order at the holiday table. There will be empty chairs this year, chairs that were filled last year with our beloved parents or grandparents or close friends, those who have died and gone on to their next journey. We will look around and those

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The Empty Chair Around The Holiday Table

Posted on November 22, 2006 - by admin

Many Americans will be sitting down together around the dinner table very soon, to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza. These dinners re-enforce a sense of shared family values, a feeling that all is right with the world as long as we can be together at holiday time. But the truth is, all may not be in order at the holiday table. There will be empty chairs this year, chairs that were filled last year with our beloved parents or grandparents or close friends, those who have died and gone on to their next journey. We will look around and those

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Open to hope

PAM, Life Beyond Death; Joy Beyond Grief by Christy Lowry; BOOK REVIEW

Posted on November 22, 2006 - by admin

Pam: Life Beyond Death; Joy Beyond Grief By Christy Lowry Publication Consultants (2000) Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (1/06) When I first read the book’s cover, telling the true story of a family’s dealing with the loss of a 13 year old daughter/sister I simply didn’t know if I COULD read the entire story. I was expecting a story of horror, sorrow, and pain. Instead, what I got was a story of faith, love, and in the end, happiness. While some sadness was evident in the beginning of the story, losing a child is traumatic and painful for […]

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Grieving, A Poem: When the Crabapple Blooms

Posted on November 22, 2006 - by admin

This is a poem based on the act of a grieving son to come to terms with the death of his father. The process of planting a tree can prove very therapeutic. When the crabapple blooms, I will remember you, remember the pain that you felt. When its dark blooms appear, my thoughts turn to you, thoughts of suffering that make my heart melt. The plant was a gift from good, loving friends, who stood close at hand in my pain. In their kind, loving words, they suggested to me, that this tree would live on in your name. When […]

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Behavioral Symptoms of Grief: You Are Not Alone

Posted on November 22, 2006 - by admin

It is normal to feel pain and to grieve after the loss of a loved-one. There is no need to feel guilty for having overlooked a few minor obligations at home or at work when one is in the period of bereavement. It is never easy to lose someone we love. Most people deal with grief in their own ways. Some people get over pain quickly through frequent expression while others deal and get over it quickly if they try to find diversions. However, there are universal signs of grief that are manifested by people behaviorally. It is important to

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How to Choose a Memorial Poem or Verse for a Funeral or Life Celebration

Posted on November 22, 2006 - by admin

When choosing a poem or verse for a life celebration, funeral or memorial service you will first want to consider where you plan to use the poems and verses. Today, many people are going beyond just prayer cards and bookmarks and creating memorial service folders and various memorial favors. You also may wish to print the same poem or verse on thank-you notes that you will send out. If you are using the verse on a small size card obviously you will want to choose a shorter poem or verse.

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Understanding Your Grief

Posted on November 21, 2006 - by

Grieving is part of the realities of life. Losing a loved one is one of the most painful and profound losses of all. Every one of us has experienced or will experience grief at some time in our lives. It is a devastating feeling of sadness and loss. Often times this process is accompanied by physical aches, pains and even serious illness.

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Open to hope

Understanding Your Grief

Posted on November 21, 2006 - by admin

Grieving is part of the realities of life. Losing a loved one is one of the most painful and profound losses of all. Every one of us has experienced or will experience grief at some time in our lives. It is a devastating feeling of sadness and loss. Often times this process is accompanied by physical aches, pains and even serious illness.

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Open to hope

Left Behind

Posted on November 21, 2006 - by admin

It?s been nine months when we said goodbye to each other as you made the transition into eternity. This morning I decided that it was time to remove what was left behind. Each day I?ve opened the closet and smelling your scent from the clothes still hanging there. Suits for church, casual clothes worn to work daily, shoes shiny and yes, a pair that needs a coat of polish. Should I polish them for you? No. You?ve left them behind.

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Why Don’t We Talk About Anticipatory Grief?

Posted on November 21, 2006 - by Harriet Hodgson

I know anticipatory grief – a feeling of loss before a death or dreaded event occurs – far too well. My mother suffered from probable Alzheimer’s disease and I was her caregiver for nine years. As time passed she lost the ability to reason, track numbers, read a book, understand TV, create sentences, and finally, the ability to speak.

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