Bereavement, Death of a Child, Open to Hope, Your Grief

The Keeper of the Room 

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

The door is easy to miss—  a dim recess,  knotted and coarse.    He kept the room for a long time—  some places are made of wood and plaster— this one is made of whatever people bring inside.    People pass it every day  already elsewhere.    If you ask, he gives you the key.  Not ceremoniously—  just a small warmth  from others who came before.    The lock turns easily  as though expecting them,  and the two friends enter.    To the first,  the room offers nothing—  white walls,  corners meet in muted shadows,  light without direction.    She […]

Bereavement, Death of a Child, Open to Hope, Self Care, Your Grief

The Threshold of Truth

Friday, July 10, 2026

When you meet someone new, it’s the heat that won’t break, the dry cleaner down the street that’s too expensive,  how you take your coffee.    We sat over dinner.  He sent the dish back—  too spicy, he said,  as if it were the dish  that missed the mark.    They brought something softer. He thanked them,  moved on.    So did I.    The questions came  in their usual spacing—  easy enough  to keep things level.    He asks it  and reaches for his glass  before I answer.    How many children?    I feel the ice in my […]

Bereavement, Death of a Child, Open to Hope, Self Care, Your Grief

A CROWD IS THE  WRONG PLACE FOR A WHISPER

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

A crowd is the wrong place for a whisper.  Sound there is measured in weight,  not meaning.    A whisper asks something else.  For proximity.  For stillness.  For the small kindness  of someone leaning in,  of meeting a mild breeze.    It does not compete.  It waits.  It listens  for the quiet of a wave  braking at ocean’s edge.    In a crowd,  it is mistaken for absence.    But in the dark,  when one person turns  and another is already listening,  it becomes a bridge—  not loud enough to impress,  only strong enough to cross.   POEM GUIDE AND […]

Death of a Child, Open to Hope, Your Grief

BETWEEN TWO GRAVITIES

Saturday, June 27, 2026

Most mornings,  the sun rises in grayscale,  weighted between two gravities.  I fasten the mask again—  it’s thin, too thin—  hoping it veils  what flickers beneath.    I’m tired of being praised for holding it together—  as though silence is sainthood,  as though endurance is free.    I wonder,  if the colors I see  are the same as yours.  Is my red the burn of a star too near,  my blue a trench that swallows light?  Are both tethered by forces I can’t unlearn,  by concepts I have no words for?    You see a calm ocean;  I see depths […]

Open to Hope

The Poem Was The Meaning

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

After my son died, I did not lose the ability to speak. I could answer questions, describe what had happened, and walk someone through the sequence of events in a way that sounded complete. I could even say it plainly: I got a call from a stranger, three thousand miles away, telling me my son was dead. I sat in my office chair, frozen. That is not something I’ll forget. On the surface, nothing was wrong with my language. Words still worked for logistics—phone calls, explanations, the details people needed. I could confirm, clarify, repeat. But when it came to […]

Death of a Child, Death of a Spouse, Military

Who Is Your Hero?  How Has Your Hero Influenced Your Life?

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

“ I believe that our heroes in life change over time based on our values and maturity. We don’t cling to those who impressed us with their status. Instead, we align our vision with those who are authentic, reliable, and role models. However,  there may also be the unlikely, unclaimed hero who changes our life and  lives in our heart forever.” (Nan Zastrow)  A  year ago, in a support group meeting,  I shared the story of how the ®Wings organization began…in Memory after the death of our son, Chad. After the group, a man who was present came forward and […]

Bereavement, Complicated Grief, Death of a Child, Open to Hope, Your Grief

A Different Kind of Mother’s Day for My Friend 

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Mother’s Day usually stirs up memories of celebrating my Mom with my brothers and sisters when we were kids- showering her with all the snuggles, handmade cards and French toast from the Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook. Nothing said I Love You like delivering fresh flowers to her (right out of her garden).🌷   This year, though, I’ve been thinking a lot about my dear new friend, Marlene, who will be navigating her first Mother’s Day since the shocking death of her beloved son, BJ.    Marlene shared the heart shattering news on social media last year, “No words […]

Death of a Child

Between What Was and What Is

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

It has been over a decade now since losing Andrea, and grief has reshaped my world. My memories of her are as vivid as ever. I remember her as a child, with her locks of curly, golden hair and captivating blue eyes. The continuous compliments were awe-inspiring wherever we went. The way the sunlight caught her curls and the childhood laughter melted my heart as she played. I remember the pride I felt that followed me through the years, as I witnessed her milestones, accomplishments, and the way she nurtured her little boy. Those moments shaped my days, and I […]

Death of a Child

What Are Our Choices? A Personal Story By Susan Whitmore, Founder and CEO, griefHaven

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

How do we handle the road stretching before us when we are grieving? Erika, my daughter and only child, died at 32 in 2002 from a rare sinus cancer. A year later, with the love and support of many people, I started griefHaven. Before Erika died, time felt like a friend. After, it became my tormentor—each day dragging on, the months ahead looking like endless miles to endure without her. When I imagined the future, it no longer held the excitement of possibility. It felt like a long, empty road. Heartbreak hits like a sudden tsunami. It leaves us gasping, […]

Death of a Child, Open to Hope

A Day in the Life . . .If You Can Still Call It That

Sunday, February 1, 2026

You wake up in the morning and for the first few hazy seconds, you think maybe it was all a bad dream. As soon as you get out of bed, a tidal wave of grief knocks you down, bringing you to your knees, and you immediately start to cry. You can’t stop crying. This is the beginning of the end of your life as you knew it—grieving your child who is no longer alive. Whether it was a long goodbye, a short goodbye, or no goodbye, you want the pain to stop but you don’t think it ever will.   […]