Loss of a Family Member

Bereavement

Hurting and in pain and looking for hope? In times of bereavement watch, read and listen to stories of hope and recovery.

Articles

  • There’s a New Way to Do Grief

    Posted on May 20, 2022 - by Nikki Scott

    A New Way to Do Grief Try to think about the ways you have been taught how to grieve the loss of someone or something. When you were a child […]

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  • ‘You’re SO Strong’: A Misunderstanding of Grief

    Posted on May 20, 2022 - by Brooke Carlock

    In the months following my 10-year-old daughter Libby’s death, there was one phrase that I heard over and over again.  “You’re SO strong.” People whispered it in my ear in […]

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  • ‘Heaven-Faith’ is Comforting

    Posted on May 6, 2022 - by Fran Buhler

    Death is a friend — not something to dread and fear. In our sorrow, there is One we can trust. We may trust the Holy One. Death comes under His […]

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  • How My Mother’s Loss Changed Me

    Posted on May 6, 2022 - by Lori Koidahl

    My Mother’s Loss Changed Me My metamorphosis commenced when I suffered the intense loss of my mom. Her death unraveled all my patterns, disrupted my life, and revealed how much […]

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  • Grief is One Thing. Prolonged Grief Disorder is Another

    Posted on May 3, 2022 - by Andrea Gilats

    Does She Have a Grief Disorder? A 68-year-old woman seeks care from her primary physician because of trouble sleeping 4 years after the death of her husband. On questioning, she […]

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  • Dealing with ‘What if’ Questions

    Posted on May 3, 2022 - by Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley

    What If Questions After a Loss A loved one has died. Even if you knew their death was eminent, you’re in total shock. You feel sad, anxious, and confused. Before […]

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  • Inscribing a Headstone: The Importance of Tradition

    Posted on April 21, 2022 - by Larry Hirschhorn

    Headstone for a Son My son Aaron died this past March in a boating accident. He was 42 years old. He leaves behind a wife, three children and heartbroken parents. […]

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  • Grief is a Dancer

    Posted on April 21, 2022 - by Alisa Bair

    Grief is a Dancer Grief is a dancer full of kinetic energy. At first, the stranger shows up with a dance card at the most devastatingly inconvenient time. The dance […]

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  • Gifts in the Pain

    Posted on April 14, 2022 - by Mike Bernhardt

    Gifts in the Pain My wife Susan died unexpectedly in April 1991, the Sunday after Easter. I could never have imagined beforehand how transformative an experience that would be. Nothing […]

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  • When Grieving, Listen to Yourself

    Posted on April 14, 2022 - by Samantha Ruth

    Meltdowns Come and Go Last week, I had a meltdown. Ok, a major meltdown! And I realized that I STILL need to give myself permission to grieve.  Almost two years […]

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  • From Grief to Gratitude: How We Get There

    Posted on April 14, 2022 - by Stedman Stevens

    From Grief to Gratitude As we live through the pandemic, all of us feel the unusual weight in the air and sense the loss of how our lives used to […]

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  • Don’t Rush Grief

    Posted on April 12, 2022 - by Karla Noland

    Grief didn’t strike me the moment my mother died. Instead, my grief began when I realized my mother was dying, which was on her 78th birthday. Shock, disbelief, and sadness […]

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  • Accepting the Hand You’re Dealt

    Posted on April 11, 2022 - by Mershon Niesner

    Bitter or Better “You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a […]

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  • How to Say Farewell

    Posted on April 11, 2022 - by Dr. Edward Creagan

    Familiarity with Dying I have dedicated my life to death. For over forty winters at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, I have been at the bedside with over 40,000 […]

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  • Cracked Open by Loss

    Posted on April 11, 2022 - by Teena Evert

    I recently wrote a book about healing yourself from the pain of loss. It will give you a new perspective on how to face challenges in your life. Life’s losses […]

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  • Gratitude is Most Powerful on Difficult Days

    Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

    Gratitude is Most Powerful on Difficult Days Don’t save gratitude for your good days. Gratitude is most powerful on your difficult days. Keep it simple. When you are going through […]

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  • Ideas for Coping With Loss

    Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

    Making Loss Meaningful The death of a loved one is a traumatic and emotionally painful experience. The following suggestions are made to hopefully alleviate some of that pain, to turn […]

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  • 3 Ways to Foster Strength and Resilience

    Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

    First Way to Foster Strength The first way to train yourself to foster strength is to induce relaxation on demand. Being able to shut off the negative thinking going on […]

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  • From Woo-Woo to Whew: Why I Embrace the Possible Fiction of Fate

    Posted on March 27, 2022 - by Joni Sensel

    Embracing Fate I don’t own a supply of tinfoil hats or a treasured collection of saints’ fingernail clippings. (And yes, for me the two are equivalent, though I respect your […]

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  • 10 Ways to Generate Joy on a Difficult Day

    Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

    Sometimes we have very little energy, time, or inner resources to do things that will help us feel better. This list was created to assist you with simple ideas for […]

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  • Open to hope

    5 Simple Ideas to Get Through a Difficult Day

    Posted on March 3, 2022 - by Dr. Peggy DeLong

    This list is excerpted from FEELING Good: 35 Proven Ways to Happiness, Even During Tough Times Get outside. Spending just 5 minutes outside can elevate mood and help you get […]

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    Understanding Grief is a First Step

    Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Phil Rich

    Grief is an inevitable part of life. Philosophical musings about life and death probably don’t help much, and you may be finding that the support and comfort offered by family […]

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  • Our Loved One’s Possessions

    Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Phil Rich

    There’s more to your loved one than you can write in a short biography or character sketch. As you recollect the person after their death, think about your loved one’s […]

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  • Boycotting the Grief Olympics

    Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Greg Adams

    Boycotting the Grief Olympics Mostly, we humans love comparisons and competition. Around the world, there are competitions going on all the time. Who bakes the best cake, spells the most […]

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  • Writing Condolence Letters Can Heal the Writer

    Posted on February 16, 2022 - by Barbara Redfield

    Writing Condolence Letters My father was a Man of Letters. During his years at Princeton, he was head of the Press Club where he was able to supplement his scholarship […]

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  • Grief Doodling Can Help You Heal

    Posted on February 4, 2022 - by Harriet Hodgson

    What is Grief Doodling? “Is it straight?” asked the activities director. She was hanging 21 pictures I contributed to a retirement community art exhibit. The pictures are doodle art, a […]

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    I’m Joining the Circus: Movement is Healing

    Posted on January 20, 2022 - by Sherry Walling

    Movement is Healing Four months after brother died, I had a six-pack. Not the beverage kind, the abdominal kind. My dad and my brother both had died that year I […]

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