Much like the 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, the 8.9 earthquake in Japan has gripped the world’s attention. In recent years, we were also stunned by the aftermath of earthquakes in China, Chile, and Haiti. The collective loss of lives, devastation, and concern for the future of those surviving such enormous tragedies is profound. […]
Read More...Life Reviews
There are two types of life reviews. One is a phenomenon that occurs during a near-death experience. The person will see their life in chronological order. The other is when the elderly or dying have an opportunity to reflect on their life and to communicate those memories with another. There are tremendous benefits for everyone […]
Read More...Preplanning a Funeral
For some, the thought of preplanning a funeral is utterly morbid. It’s not. There are many reasons to consider preplanning your funeral. To begin with, immediately following a loved one’s death, the family is quite emotional. If this was a sudden death, they are likely to be in shock and completely overwhelmed with what has […]
Read More...Forgiveness ~ Is it About Letting Someone off the Hook?
“Father, forgive me for I have sinned.” This came out of my mouth every Saturday at confession. The religious teachings to seek forgiveness DID NOT teach me anything about forgiveness ~ what it really is and why it is so important. I just knew (because the teachings told me) that I was born a sinner […]
Read More...Bonus Blog: Through the Tears
For centuries, tears have been misinterpreted as a sign of weakness. We all know that males are told from a young age, “Big boys don’t cry.” For women, while it is more acceptable for us to weep, the acceptance is often couched in labels such as: “high strung, over-emotional, drama-queens, or hysterical.” It’s all bunk. […]
Read More...Aniticipatory Grief
When family receives the news that a loved one is going to die, their world instantly comes to a stop. At first, it is difficult to believe that what you think you heard is, in fact, the truth. Life moves in slow motion and yet the news swirls in your head at light speed. You […]
Read More...Anticipatory Grief
When family receives the news that a loved one is going to die, their world instantly comes to a stop. At first, it is difficult to believe that what you think you heard is, in fact, the truth. Life moves in slow motion and yet the news swirls in your head at light speed. You […]
Read More...The Loss of a Child
I have experienced many losses in my life, but I have not experienced the death of a child. I have miscarried a child, as did one of my daughters. Miscarriage is heartbreaking, and many women endure multiple miscarriages and go through a very difficult grief journey as a result. I can’t compare the two— the […]
Read More...Rejection ~ It Can Feel Like the Ultimate Heartbreak
Being rejected by another person can feel like the ultimate heartbreak. Why don’t they want me? Why don’t they love me? Why don’t they approve of me? I can’t answer those questions for you. Each of us needs to do the work of understanding why we so desperately need that person’s approval. Oprah Winfrey said […]
Read More...The Endings Are Not Ours to Write
Death is something that is truly beyond our control. Yes, we can do things in life to help us live as long and as healthy as possible, but death is not something we can control. Following the deaths of my brother-in-law (23), my father (54), my brother (39), my husband (37) and my friend (42), […]
Read More...
It is an honor to share my journey through grief with you. Although my story is that ~ my story~ it is important for me to acknowledge that many people shared in the losses that I share here. Each of us had a different experience and each of us grieved and mourned in a unique way. While I empathize and truly shared in the pain of others who were also affected by these tragedies, I can only speak for myself and share...