Sally Grablick

Sally Grablick lost her son to suicide in 2002. Her road to recovery began by reading over 100 books on grief, spirituality and the afterlife. A seeker by nature, she began formulating a recovery plan by exploring the ideas presented within these books. Knowing her efforts would benefit others, she created the “cliff notes” to grief, and shares the lessons learned, tools used and insights gained in her book, The Reason: Help and Hope for Those Who Grieve.

Articles:

Lessons Learned: Help for Bereavement During the Holidays

Halloween is behind us, and we all know what that means. Here come the holidays. If you are grieving, this will be a difficult time for you. What to do, where to go, how do you cope? Take my advice, and don’t try to re-invent the wheel. Instead, make use of the lessons learned by others. Take advantage of the experiences shared in books, on websites, and through support groups. Not everything you discover will work for you – but eventually you will grasp enough that does. I am saddened to say that when it comes to bereavement, I am […]

Recovered Email Provides Comfort to Grieving Mom

Throughout the years, my mother has written me many inspiring letters. I use the internet and write my children emails. Time may change the way we communicate – but it hasn’t replaced our need to connect with one another. I cherish the notes received from my son and daughter, and have managed to tuck a nice selection of them away. When I started to save them, I had no idea how much I would grow to value or learn from them. What I do know is that these emails were just a few of the many keepsakes I’d lovingly packed […]

Grieving Mother gets BIG Message from her Loving Son

My son, Ryan, committed suicide in June of 2002; but from day one, I was keenly aware that his spirit never left me. Fortunately, I have been blessed with many signs and dream visits since he crossed over. With time, my awareness grew, and I learned to understand and recognize the different signs he would give to me in efforts to get my attention. His favorites are: butterflies, numbers, feathers, heart rocks, frogs and herons. I’ve learned that Ryan is in control of the signs – when and how they are delivered – is completely up to him. If I […]

Mother ‘Got My Hug’ from Deceased Son

My 19-year-old son, Ryan, committed suicide in June of 2002. He was a loving and generous person in life, and in the afterlife, all of those qualities remain. Ryan is a very active spirit. We communicate in various ways, but I really enjoy it when he “visits” me in my dreams. I can recall with complete clarity the first visit he ever made – that night, Ryan came to deliver the hug I had been asking for… In December of 2003, my younger sister Stephanie called to remind me of the “Worldwide Candle Lighting” held by The Compassionate Friends. This […]

Build a Grief Toolbox

There is value in writing things down, especially when you’re struggling with the symptoms of grief. I decided to make a list of the all the things we’d done that had seemed to help us, with the intention of sharing them with others. I call these things “tools.” ü Anti-depressants – Talk with your physician about taking something to get you over the hump. There is no shame in it, so don’t suffer needlessly. You’re going to hurt no matter what you do, but these at least enable you to function. ü Cry – You don’t always have to be […]

Cliffs Notes for the Beginning Griever

How is it we are taught to love, work, marry, and procreate, but no one teaches us how grieve? The Victorians had it down to a science. They even had a parlor in their homes where they hosted the funerals of deceased family members. That’s where the term funeral “parlor” came from. People wore black for a designated length of time, and grieving families were not asked to socialize. The only thing expected of them was to rest and recover from their loss. As chunks of time passed, certain “social privileges” were reinstated. After the death of my son, I […]