Dolores Cruz

Dolores Cruz is the author of two books. Look Around; A Mother’s Journey from Grief and Despair to Healing and Hope tells about her grief journey and spiritual shift after the sudden death of her 24-year-old son, Eric. Though she at first had no idea how she could live again without her son, her journey eventually brought her to a whole new understanding of the questions we all ask about the meaning of life. Her recent book, A Bird Called Wisdom, is a poetic expression of this same grief and healing journey. In addition to her own two books, Dolores is co-author of Shining Light Parents Speak which shares the stories of 130 parents from the international organization, Helping Parents Heal, which provides support and hope for parents whose children have passed away. She has also written two articles for HuffPost on grief and healing, as well as on the continued connections we have with our loved ones in spirit. Dolores believes grief is not talked about enough and feels strongly about the importance of opening up this conversation through her writings and podcast appearances. Dolores is a retired elementary school teacher who now volunteers as an Affiliate Leader and Caring Listener with Helping Parents Heal. She is a Certified Grief Educator, having trained under David Kessler. She is also a certified Grief Yoga instructor, receiving her training from Paul Denniston. The Cruz Family continues to honor Eric, who was an amazing drummer, by providing a music scholarship in Eric’s name at Neighborhood Music School in Los Angeles. Dolores lives in the LA area along with her husband, Joey, and boxer dog, Brandy. She has three other wonderful adult children who live locally. Aside from writing, she practices yoga, teaches tap dance, is involved in various writing projects, and finds peace and solace spending time outdoors.

Articles:

Grief is a Teacher, Teacher Says

Grief is a Teacher It had been only six weeks since my 24-year-old son was killed in a car accident. That amazing young drummer who charmed most anyone he met with his good looks and kind personality, the one with the sparkle in his eyes that hinted at a bit of mischief, the one people were drawn to by his charismatic personality, the one who never in 24 years hesitated to hug his mom in front of his friends and audibly tell her he loved her. Yeah, that one. His physical presence was now gone, and though my raw grief […]

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Setting the Intention to Live Again

Setting the Intention to Live Again That cruel knock on the door was not my first introduction to grief, but it was, by far, the most brutal. My kind, compassionate, and very handsome 24-year-old son, my youngest of four wonderful children, had not come home that night. My mother’s heart was extremely worried. But that loud knock shook me to my core, and something deep inside of me knew what it was. It was 5:30 AM. My daughter, Vanessa, who followed me downstairs to the door, was the only one home as my husband was out of town on business. […]

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