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Excerpt from ROCK ON: Be Brave

Posted on September 17, 2020 - by Susan Casey

This is an excerpt from Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief, which is available https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Mining-River-Sibling-Grief/dp/1732888892/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2V353DVSRK5ZL&keywords=rock+on+mining+for+joy+in+the+deep+river+of+grief&qid=1576002958&sprefix=Rock+On%3A+Mining+for+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1 Chapter 3: Be Brave Early Friday morning when I saw Kevin’s number on my phone, I said another silent prayer before I picked up his call. “Tell me some good news,” I said. “Sue, it’s not good.” I wanted to slap my hands over my ears and scream, “Please stop talking.” “Setiawan left the hospital, and the doctor called her and told her to come back. His blood pressure dropped, and he wasn’t breathing on his own,” Kevin said. […]

Excerpt from ROCK ON: The Stroke of Time

Posted on September 15, 2020 - by Susan Casey

This is an excerpt from Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief, which is available https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Mining-River-Sibling-Grief/dp/1732888892/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2V353DVSRK5ZL&keywords=rock+on+mining+for+joy+in+the+deep+river+of+grief&qid=1576002958&sprefix=Rock+On%3A+Mining+for+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1 Chapter 2: The Stroke of Time Rocky began to measure time by how many sleeps we had left before we’d see each other again. A week before he arrived in Maine in early December 2006, he instant messaged me on Skype and wrote, only seven more sleeps, Sis; only six more sleeps, Sis, until finally, it was only one more sleep till we’d see each other again. It would be his first trip home since his move to Bali […]

Exclusive: Excerpt from ROCK ON

Posted on September 13, 2020 - by Susan Casey

This is an excerpt from Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief, which is available https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Mining-River-Sibling-Grief/dp/1732888892/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2V353DVSRK5ZL&keywords=rock+on+mining+for+joy+in+the+deep+river+of+grief&qid=1576002958&sprefix=Rock+On%3A+Mining+for+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1 Chapter 1: Secret Keepers On a sub-zero winter night when I was sixteen years old, I snuck out of my bedroom window, climbed onto the garage roof, hung from the gutter, and jumped onto the picnic table piled high with snow. I scrambled over snowbanks to meet my girlfriend who waited for me, headlights turned off at the end of my street. I slid into the passenger side, blew warm breaths into numb hands, and said, “I hope we […]

Everyone Else is Carrying on with ‘Life as Usual’

Posted on September 13, 2020 - by Bob Baugher

This is an excerpt from the book: Coping with Grief: A Guide for the Bereaved Survivor by Bob Baugher. You can order it at: www.bobbaugher.com At this time in your life, the world looks different: Artificial Frightening Callous Indifferent Cold Insensitive Dreary Lonely Dull Uncaring You may find yourself surprised and hurt that, despite the fact that your life has totally changed, the rest of the world appears to operate just as it always has. Every day you see people going about their business as if nothing has changed. A common, but unexpressed feeling among bereaved people is […]

Embracing the Highs and Lows

Posted on September 9, 2020 - by Bunny Bennett

In facilitating small groups with sometimes noncommunicative teens, my wise colleague suggested beginning the session by asking each participant to share a high and a low. A high could include something going well, an accomplishment, an anticipated upcoming event, or anything positive, while a low could be something worrisome, circumstances that didn’t work out as planned, a disappointment, a traumatic event, etc. This activity works every single time like magic to get teens to open up! Sometimes, just discussing highs and lows could take a whole session and the participants always verbalized feeling better, supported, and connected, even when no […]

The Grieving Codependent

Posted on September 9, 2020 - by Mary Joye

Codependency is a term that gets tossed around a lot but few seem to know what it really means. Even those who suffer from it can be completely unaware it’s operating in their lives. Briefly defined, it is the loss of self, while caring for others. These are the selfless members of families and society who have a tendency to give until they give out and though they appear to be able to do anything, they can’t do everything. This is particularly true when experiencing grief. A codependent is often the one who is doing all the doing for the […]

Why Do I Feel So Guilty?

Posted on July 20, 2020 - by Catherine McNulty

In my humble opinion, western society drastically underestimates the magnitude of grief. Losing someone you love can be one of the most traumatic events many people will face. Death and grief are challenging in so many ways. If you are here because you are lost in grief, you know what I’m talking about. In my coaching practice, I set up weekly calls with those who are grieving. Feelings of intense guilt comes up for a lot of people. What I do is help them understand the emotion of guilt, where it comes from, and why it makes living with guilt […]

‘Put Your Feet on the Floor’: After a Child-Loss

Posted on July 14, 2020 - by Mary Jane Hurley Brant

From When Every Day Matters: A Mother’s Memoir on Love, Loss and Life (Simple Abundance Press) on Amazon December 2, 1999 Dear Katie, Your dad and I are beginning again. We are at the beach for a few days. It’s cold but lovely. I continue to write in my journal. I am reaching for the pen, instead of self-pity. It’s a good thing. Love, Mom When someone you dearly love dies, you let yourself think that they are sleeping. When you take a nap or go to bed, your loss is asleep. When you wake up, the pain is […]

Anticipatory Grief: As the End Nears

Posted on July 11, 2020 - by Harriet Hodgson

Anticipatory grief—a feeling of loss before a death or dreaded event—is a powerful mix of emotions. It is also a unique form of grief. Perhaps the most unusual aspect is sorrow mixed with hope. While you are grieving, you hope the doctor misdiagnosed your loved one’s illness or a miracle drug will suddenly appear. Hope is your lifeline, but for now, all you can do is wait. The waiting is hard and just keeps getting harder. Anticipatory grief follows you like a black storm cloud. If you feel this badly now, how will you feel after your loved one has […]

Fear at the Door, Rest Inside

Posted on July 8, 2020 - by Nathan Peterson

In the spring of 2012, I heard this word: “Rest.” I knew this word was important. I knew it held something of great value — something good for me. But I wasn’t even entirely sure what it was. Was it extra sleep? Was it not working on Sundays? Shortly after I heard this word, my life began to change. For one reason or another, one by one, the things with which I occupied myself were stripped away until I found myself with nothing left to hold. A year later, I was in a panic, wondering how we were going to […]